Future Nantes detention center receives building permit and environmental approval

The planned detention center at the gates of Nantes has cleared its final administrative hurdles, but its location remains a source of local concern. The prefecture of Loire-Atlantique said the project received its environmental approval on Sept. 1, after the building permit was issued on Aug. 18.

The facility will accommodate foreign nationals who face removal orders that cannot be carried out immediately. It forms part of a national effort to increase detention capacity. Nantes was selected because the western part of France lacks places, sometimes forcing police to cross the country to carry out removals.

The project will cover 20,125 square meters near Nantes-Carquefou prison, on Rue de la Mainguais in the Champ de Manœuvre area. The site lies in a wetland at the head of a watershed, with wooded habitats and protected species. The construction has drawn opposition from people who object to the center itself and from others who fear its environmental effects.

The environmental approval followed a public consultation and reviews by several bodies, overseen by an independent inquiry commission. The Loire-Atlantique prefecture said the commission recognized improvements to the project. The revised plans include an additional measure to compensate for damage to wetlands, support for bats, and the removal of an access road.

Compensation measures will take place on state-owned parcels in Notre-Dame-des-Landes that have been unused for several years, as well as in Vigneux-de-Bretagne on land previously covered by a temporary occupancy agreement. The prefecture presented the changes as a strengthened environmental framework, while local concerns over the development remain.

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The commission highlights the improvements made to the dossier.