In Gruissan, in the Aude region, a project for 730 homes on a 32-hectare natural area is sparking intense tensions during the 2026 municipal election campaign. Promoted by Mayor Didier Codorniou, the development aims to address the housing crisis while promising a car-free seaside resort, but it endangers the ancestral vegetable gardens of 44 property owners.
The seaside resort of Gruissan, near Narbonne, is at the heart of a conflict pitting the housing crisis against environmental protection. The eco-quarter project on the 32-hectare Sagne area, a vegetable gardening space, plans for 730 homes. This initiative, launched by Mayor Didier Codorniou of the Parti radical de gauche, is part of a broader plan to turn Gruissan into the first car-free seaside resort.
Josette Ournac, a 91-year-old resident, embodies the pain of those affected. Owner of a 950-square-meter plot inherited from her grandparents, she grows artichokes, leeks, and cauliflowers there, surrounded by blooming almond trees. “It’s my paradise on earth and they want to take it away. I’m dying a little at a time,” she confides, explaining that she is taking antidepressants for the first time in her life despite past hardships.
In total, 44 owners of 51 plots face an expropriation order. The conflict, lasting over ten years, has fractured the village. Michel Blanc, head of an apolitical opposition list, regrets: “The Sagne project has fractured the village.” Around the area, banners declare “Stop the concrete” and “Yes to vegetables, no to asphalt.” The mayor acknowledges the sensitivity of the issue and reports that his house has been vandalized with insults.
This case highlights the contradictions of the ecological transition, between housing needs and preservation of natural spaces, amid the election campaign.
