2023-07-13 16:41:00
The decision had been expected for many months. Was the Walloon Government going to approve the development of an economic activity park on agricultural land along the N 81, on the Weyler-Hondelange side, as the Idélux Développement intermunicipal company is calling for. Was he going to preserve these agricultural lands as desired by the farmers of the region, Écolo, the Commune of Messancy? Also on the table is an intermediate solution, tabled by Minister Willy Borsus, who wears two hats: Regional Planning and Agriculture. Either, a phasing. The business park would initially occupy the least good agricultural land. Once filled, it would expand. The compromise solution. The one that seemed the most obvious.
Finally the Walloon Government decided not to decide, and to submit the file to the next legislature. That is to say to the next Walloon Government which will be formed following the elections of June 2024.
“The Government has taken the decision not to deliberate under this legislature, informs us Minister Willy Borsus. So to currently keep the land in its agricultural vocation. And to continue to measure the evolution of needs. It will eventually be up to the next government, if it wishes, to take up this decision one way or the other.”
In other words, the various political groups present within this Walloon Government (PS-MR-Écolo) did not find an agreement on this dossier.
A project that had been scaled back
This file dates back to 2013. At the time, the first banners bloomed along the N 81: “Let’s preserve the good land”. Idélux had revised its project downwards, transferring nearly 20 hectares to the Sablière de Schoppach (the former ZAD), limiting the extension of the Weyler-Hondelange business park to 27 hectares. Not enough to convince the opponents who were able to rally the Commune of Messancy to their cause, and partly that of Arlon which wishes to limit the extension of the zoning to 6.7 hectares on its territory.
A petition had been launched. Farmer Adrien Blauen had the opportunity to explain himself to the Walloon Parliament. The agricultural union Fugea or the Greenpeace association have given their support to the opponents of the project, taking the debate outside the provincial cocoon, these hectares of land becoming a symbol of the artificialization of the soil to the detriment of nourishing land.
The fights waged by each other are not over. Next round: in the summer or fall of 2024.
The reactions
Carine Lecomte (Acting Mayor of Arlon): “I am very surprised by this decision, especially since the proposed three-tier phasing seemed to suit everyone. It was a good compromise that made sense. “
Adrien Blauen (main farmer concerned, at the head of the opponents to the project): “We knew that Minister Borsus was in favor of the project and that the two other parties in government were once morest it. He managed to postpone the decision to the Greek grilles for not having to announce a decision that would be unfavorable to it. This decision does not prevent Idelux from pursuing its Schoppach project. We were not in favor of the phasing proposal which had been on the table for some time. It is a proposal hypocritical, since it was to give an agreement by spreading it over time.
Christiane Kirsch (first alderman of Messancy): “This file dates from 2013. At first, we were in favor of it under certain conditions. Two years ago, when the file came back on the table, we changed our position to giving an unfavorable opinion, because the problems we had raised had not been taken into account. We felt that it was up to the minister to take his responsibilities. What you are telling me shows that he will not take them .”
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