A planning dispute pits a property heir against local authorities over zoning rules and the limits of private development.
He inherits his childhood home, the city council prohibits renovation, and the court rules against the owner: “It is not an existing structure”
A resident of La Lande-de-Fronsac, in Gironde, has launched a legal battle with the town’s mayor after being denied permission to renovate a building he inherited.
La Lande-de-Fronsac is a French municipality with a population of 6,600. The man inherited a derelict building from his father and wants to add an extension to it.
According to Actu Bordeaux, the property is located in an area classified as agricultural land under local zoning rules – meaning residential housing is prohibited in that part of the municipality.
No response since 2021
The heir submitted a planning application in 2021 that was never answered. His lawyer has said the mayor acted deliberately to harm his client and prevent the project from going ahead. The applicant also runs a wine-growing operation in the immediate vicinity of the building.
The mayor rejected the renovation plan, arguing that the proposed works would cause disturbance to neighboring residents.
For its part, the court dismissed the case at first instance, and the Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeal again denied the owner’s request, ruling that “this building cannot be considered an existing structure.” It also found that, in these circumstances, the mayor’s decision did not amount to interference with the right to respect for private and family life.
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