Politcal swings around the Gipsy settlement

The Gipsy settlement is the topic of a new polemic between two important characters of the Angers municipal elections next year. The choice of the field where those travellers will be able to live during their temporary passings the city has fueled a fierce debate between Jean-Claude Antonini, Angers Loire Métropole president and Christophe Béchu, president of the Maine-et-Loire Conseil general, also likely candidate to the office of Angers mayor against the heir of Mr Antonini, Frédéric Béatse.

Credit Picture : Angers Loire Métropole

According to Mr Béchu, the project of the agglomeration suffers from two lacks. First, its location could lead to accidents involving children going from the camp to the Nelson Mandela school. Those will be "encouraged to join their school via the interchange [250 m] rather than the longer pedestrian lanes [1 000 m]", he said. The cost of the project is the other critic of Mr Béchu :  between € 7.5 and 10 millions even if the number of pitches will go from 32 to about 100.

The Angers Loire Metropole president pointed out that the cost will sum up €7.5 millions and will include all the expenses of the scheme. But because Mr Béchu is in charge of the implementation of the Gipsy's settlements in Maine-et-Loire, those people should be unintendedly at the core of a dispute what is a paradox given that their involvment in political campaigns is not their main characteristic...