• After years of legal proceedings, it is this week that the last 16 beach chalets of recalcitrant owners in the seaside resort of Blériot-Plage, in Sangatte, Pas-de-Calais, must be dismantled.
  • The beach decree of 2006, which reinforces the Littoral law of 1986, requires the replacement of these chalets, dating from the post-war period, by removable cabins, whose presence may not exceed six months a year.

It's the end of an era. After years of legal proceedings, it is this week that the last 16 beach chalets of recalcitrant owners in the seaside resort of Blériot-Plage, in Sangatte, Pas-de-Calais, must be dismantled. The beach decree of 2006, which reinforces the Littoral law of 1986, requires the replacement of these chalets, dating from the post-war period and sometimes becoming miniature second homes, by removable cabins, whose presence may not exceed six months a year.

Since the end of 2019, the prefecture has not renewed their authorization to occupy the public maritime domain. A collective of owners called "association Les chalets castors" was then set up to try to influence the decision of the authorities. In vain. In July 2022, the administrative court of Lille had ordered the owners of 33 chalets (out of the 230 that had this beach) to demolish them "without delay".

Illegal occupation of the public maritime domain

The administrative court had considered that these dwellings "did not fulfil an ecological function of refuge and habitat for animal species, nor did it make it possible to fight against dune erosion and did not have a high heritage and landscape value".



The court thus considered that they illegally occupied the maritime public domain. Offenders were liable to a penalty of 50 euros per day of delay, in the event of non-destruction within three months of notification of the judgment. "Some of these owners have already dismantled their cottage at their own expense and the last 16 will be destroyed and evacuated in the week, during a joint project led by a local company," according to the association Les chalets castors.

"A page is turning... »

The destruction of the remaining 178 cottages is planned before the summer season. "A page is turning... We will be left with wonderful memories, sincere friendships and the conviction that we fought a fair battle, that we fought to the end and without regret. Some of our chalets will have the chance to have a second life and we are looking forward to them," explains the association, in a press release.

The latter announced that it had submitted, in January, an application for inclusion in the inventory of sites to be protected and preserved with the Regional Directorate of the Environment. "Unfortunately, the request has, for the moment, not been the subject of any response," deplores the association.

  • Society
  • Lille
  • Hauts-de-France
  • Littoral
  • Heritage
  • Environment
  • Beach