3 questions to Olivier Stehlin, Mayor of Iverny
The project led by Iverny town council and ECT offers a new 8700 m² communal space, which is based around a tree-lined promenade with more than 800 trees and a health course with 8 different apparatus. Let’s take a look at this project carried out during the summer of 2021, in a short period of time with regulated and compulsory access to the site to generate the least amount of nuisance in the village.
How did this health pathway come about?
At the western end of the village, we had an old football pitch. There was talk of refurbishing it. But this did not happen. The land was abandoned and there was a risk of it becoming unsafe.
For a long time, I had in mind to build a health course there. But how to finance it? This is where the meeting with ECT was decisive. ECT’s reuse of excavated soil from nearby construction sites made it possible to create and fully finance the development and equipment of the fitness trail. There was no cost to the municipality.
Was there any reluctance because the reuse of inert soil is often a poorly understood practice?
Indeed, ECT had to be convinced of its ability to characterise the soil and to use only unpolluted, inert soil for development. We were convinced by the reliability of the teams and the conditions of the building site controls. The project was carried out with confidence. The soil inputs took just over two months. Then it was time to install the equipment and in late autumn it was time for planting.
And what do you think about the completion of the health pathway?
The village was missing an open, friendly and sporty space. The overhang of the hillock provides a view of the surrounding countryside. In the end, it turned out to be even better! The inhabitants of Iverny have adopted it and already come to play sports or go for a walk.
The support and attentiveness of the ECT teams in the design and implementation were remarkable. We were able to choose each of the apparatus. The pathways are finally made of stabilised soil. We were also able to select all the trees. The sports course is very successful. It’s great to be able to do something in such a short space of time.
