Cacophony surrounding the dam lift at the entrance to the Colombier trail

It's not easy to understand the evolution of the "dossier" concerning the dam at the entrance to the Petite Anse trail leading to Colombier beach. The President of the Collectivité says one thing, while the owners who initiated the blockade of the trail entrance say another. Since Friday December 13, the entrance to the private path leading to Colombier beach, in Petite Anse in the Flamands district, has been blocked. A barrier has been installed across the path by local owners of land bordering the path. Three large signs, which have since been torn down, were attached to concrete blocks blocking the way. The incident occurred against a backdrop of conflict between several plot owners and the Collectivité territoriale.

Nevertheless, on Monday, the owners met with the President of the Collectivité, Xavier Lédée, in the presence of their lawyer. By mid-afternoon, an online publication by the Collectivité announced the "reopening of the path", with the following clarification: "It has been agreed to allow walkers to pass through within 24 hours."Also online, President Lédée added: "While legitimate land issues remain to be settled on various dossiers, the people concerned have understood that a passage must be left on this access path to Colombier beach."The problem is, however, that what the "people concerned" had to say after the meeting with the Chairman was not exactly the same.

Indeed, contacted by telephone, one of the owners explains: "We met (with president Xavier Lédée, editor's note) but there's no agreement on anything. We're going to put back the signs indicating that this is private property. We have private property and that's that. If the local authority has documents proving that we have a right of way, they should show them. If people come through, we're not going to chase them. But they'll be violating our property. Next door, there was a fatality in an accident last year and nothing was done by the Collectivité. Not a single measure has been taken to prevent it from happening again. We're building low walls all over the island, but nothing. I can't give people permission to go through my house.

JSB tried to contact the President of the Collectivité by telephone to clarify the situation. So far, to no avail.