Heart of France: 19 mayors of Cher unite for an ambitious territorial project

While the diagnosis of the territory suggests new difficulties to come for the population of the south of the department of Cher, 19 mayors are committed to a common roadmap. Objective: to pool resources to develop territorial solidarity in order to strengthen the attractiveness of Berry.

By Alexandra Adam

Daniel Bône, mayor of Colombiers, is the president of the Community of communes.

“Being in a position of responsibility to complain is not worth itbrushes aside the president of the Community of communes Cœur de France (18), Daniel Bône. We had to make an inventory to know where we were. » Faced with the challenges that await the most rural municipalities in the years to come, the elected representatives of Arpheuilles, Bessais-le-Fromental, Bouzais, Bruère-Allichamps, Charenton-du-Cher, Colombiers, Coust, Drevant, Farges-Allichamps, La Celle, La Groutte, Marçais, Meillant, Nozières, Orcenais, Orval, Saint-Amand-Montrond, Saint-Pierre-les-Étieux and Vernais showed solidarity. They voted unanimously for the Territory Project of Heart of France during the community council of September 28, 2022.

It took nearly a year for the mayors of these 19 municipalities in Boischaut Sud to create this roadmap which will guide their political action until 2026. The work began with the diagnosis of the territory’s difficulties carried out by Guy Soudjian, consultant Cabinet Thelemya, between September 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022. The population appears to be ageing: between 1982 and 2018, the average decrease in the population of the Heart of France climbed to -14.53%. The diagnosis also reveals that “the entire south of the Cher department has been experiencing a low pressure cycle since the end of the postwar boom period” (Editor’s note: to read on p. 26 of the Territory project).

A diagnosis of the disturbing territory

Household size increased from 2.93 to 1.96 people. Seniors represent a quarter of the population: 4 out of 10 inhabitants are over 60 years old. The age group of 15-29 years is in deficit while the share of 65-69 years is currently the largest. A phenomenon explained in particular by “the gradual scarcity of local jobs at the turn of the 1980s” and the “training deficit of young people and in particular young girls and women”. Holders of degrees, masters and doctorates are few.

The president, Daniel Bône, nevertheless puts this sad observation into perspective:

“It is a photograph of the territory at the moment T which is constantly evolving. Our goal is to carry out coherent work based on concrete guidelines. We will raise the bar gradually, step by step. »

To achieve this, five strategic areas have been identified, including:

  1. establish an effective, sustainable and united organization of the territory;
  2. strengthen the attractiveness and access of all inhabitants to the best living conditions;
  3. strengthen economic activity and access to employment;
  4. make the ecological transition a transversal axis;
  5. support digital development.

50 concrete actions to implement

Meeting regularly in committees between February and July 2022, the elected officials and vice-presidents of the CDC pooled their needs and ideas, falling within the scope of community skills, such as spatial planning. , water and energy, economy, attractiveness and health. From these meetings emerged 50 concrete actions included in the Territorial Project and listed in order of priority.

For the most urgent, we find the creation of a reception area and family grounds for itinerant French citizens, the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Saint-Amand-Montrond, Orval and La Celle, the introduction of a tax for the management of aquatic environments (GEMAPI) on 1 January 2023, the creation of a Third Place Skills and a land observatory, the development of the Orval activity zone at the exit of the motorway, the improvement of mobile phone coverage and the development of the “Coeur d’info” digital application.

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“The need to develop a web application came back to all the working groups, comments Daniel Bone. We imagine it as a single portal to centralize all information about services provided to citizens, hiking trails, cultural, sporting or festive events, rental of communal halls, public transport timetables as well as tabs about the different municipalities. »

On the health side, at the center of all concerns, it is planned to create a practice of physiotherapists in Saint-Amand after the opening of the multidisciplinary health center planned for the beginning of 2023. In 2024, the community of municipalities wants to record by an agreement the reception of student trainees in the medical professions in order to encourage them to settle in the territory and then open a medical point in Charenton-du-Cher. To report on these ambitious measures to the 18,793 inhabitants of the community, a report must be made each autumn to allow the ambitions of the elected officials of the Heart of France to be reassessed in line with their means.

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Heart of France: 19 mayors of Cher unite for an ambitious territorial project