The urban swimming spot imagined by Grégory Doucet at Confluence might never actually happen. Presented this Wednesday, September 2nd as one of the flagship projects of Lyon's new term, the future swimming area planned in the dock, facing the shopping center, is already running into the Lyon Métropole's refusal. The project had been moving forward nicely on the City of Lyon's end. A resolution had been unanimously adopted last January to allow its implementation, with the ambition of welcoming up to 300 swimmers per day by summer 2027.
The Métropole says no
The problem is now political: the City can't pull off this project alone. Since the dock falls under metropolitan jurisdiction and the Confluence SPL, the agreement of the authority headed by Véronique Sarselli is essential to keep things moving forward. And on the side of the new major
summer, the message is pretty clear. Pierre Oliver, mayor of the 2nd district and vice-president of the metropolitan authority in charge of roads, states that the Metropolitan area and the SPL Confluence will oppose the project as it is presented today.The City insists it has already launched everything possible to meet the goal of opening in 2027. Grégory Doucet hopes to obtain metropolitan approval before the end of September, a deadline he considers crucial to avoid compromising the timeline.
Over 10,000 Lyonnais have shared their views
The paradox is that residents seem quite favorable to this swimming area. The citizen consultation organized by the City in spring collected over 10,000 responses, a level of participation presented as particularly significant by Aurélie Maras, deputy for local democracy.
Overall, 73.7% ofparticipants are in favor of the possibility of swimming in the Confluence dock. In the 2nd district, which is directly concerned, the rate remains majority with 67% of positive responses. Water quality tops the list of concerns expressed by participants. Safety and noise nuisance are also among the main points of attention, with the latter being precisely at the heart of the criticisms leveled by opponents of the project.
Commercial Center View - © SPL Lyon Confluence / Artefactorylab – Non-contractual image
An arm-wrestling match that's only just beginning
Grégory Doucet thus finds himself in a rather amusing situation: his project enjoys popular support but depends on a Metropolitan authority that doesn't want to see it through. The Mayor of Lyon even took the opportunity during the consultation presentation to warn against those who might want to oppose the project "on principle".
Relations between the two authorities already appear particularly strained on this matter. In the mayor's circle, it is claimed that several meetings with Metropolitan representatives dedicated to swimming were recently cancelled. The Metropolitan authority, for its part,clearly wants to take back control of a project whose outlines the City had started to sketch.
Can swimming at Confluence still be saved?
For now, the project hasn't been officially buried, but its future looks seriously compromised in its current form. The City continues to defend an opening in summer 2027, while the Metropolitan authority is already voicing its opposition. After a summer marked by several episodes of intense heat, the idea of a new swimming spot in Lyon certainly had its appeal. The Confluence dock was presented by the City as a particularly suitable site, notably thanks to its water quality and organizational possibilities.
Source : Lyon Capitale