Saintes: a roof collapses onto the roadway on rue Saint-Eutrope

The roof of a dilapidated house collapsed during the night of June 23-24 at 142 rue Saint-Eutrope. The owner, who was due to begin renovation work in September to create five new homes, is speeding up the process.

A loud crash rocked the Saint-Eutrope neighborhood on the night of Monday, June 23 to Tuesday, June 24. Around midnight, the roof of a dilapidated building at 142 Rue Saint-Eutrope collapsed. The main beam gave way, and a pile of stone and shards of window shards crashed onto the sidewalk and roadway two floors below. "I heard a loud noise and went outside. I saw all these stones on the ground. Luckily, there was no one below," said a neighbor. Luckily, even the cars parked at that level were barely affected.

Local residents had recently alerted the town hall. "We were notified in early June. The technical services came by. They noted cracks. But to initiate a risk assessment procedure, the administrative delays are unfortunately long. We were waiting for an expert to come," said Philippe Creachcadec, deputy in charge of public safety, who was on the scene Tuesday morning.

The long-abandoned building was purchased a few years ago by a company specializing in the rehabilitation of old housing. This Tuesday, the owner was busy on site finding solutions. "The work was supposed to begin in September. We're going to get started right away," he said, heartbroken by the criticism that quickly began to pour out on social media. A craftsman intervened urgently to remove debris from the roof and make the street safe.

Five apartments are to be developed at numbers 142 and 144, including one specifically dedicated to people with reduced mobility to replace the former snack bar. The project will cost between 350,000 and 400,000 euros. "It takes time to put together a file, obtain planning permission, plans, financing... We started by renovating the exterior, on the other side," continues the owner. Philippe Creachcadec emphasizes that he played the game well by intervening quickly, which is far from always the case.

"The municipality has issued more than twenty building hazard orders for buildings in this situation. Our priority is the safety of citizens. The problem is that the procedures are very long."

"The municipality has issued more than twenty building endangerment orders for buildings in this situation. Our priority is the safety of citizens. The problem is that the procedures are very long," insists the elected official. The introduction of rental permits or the property restoration operation (ORI) aims to put pressure on recalcitrant owners. "For the ORI, we are currently receiving the files. There are some that are complete, others that require comments, and some where it's just a mess, where we have to contact the owners again."

The elected official recalls a risk of a wall collapsing at 30 and 32 Rue Alsace-Lorraine in 2008. "It took four years for the insurance companies to agree. During this time, the pedestrian lane was reduced." On Rue Saint-Eutrope, traffic was closed this Tuesday morning while the site was secured. It was expected to be restored later that evening or during the day on Wednesday.