The Walloon Government has approved the Municipal Rural Development Programmes (PCDR) of the municipalities of Grez-Doiceau and Burdinne, for a period of ten years.
Each PCDR defines a strategy and concrete projects, rooted in local realities, to develop rural municipalities and improve residents' well-being.
The priority projects for each municipality are as follows:
Grez-Doiceau
Several projects aim to improve mobility and living conditions.
A secure cycling link is planned between Archennes and the sports centre, via Rue du Bois Gibet. Other cycling and pedestrian connection actions will also be carried out. The municipality will also strengthen its ecological network, with hedge planting and biodiversity corridors. Finally, the redevelopment of public squares will support the conviviality of the villages.
Burdinne
Priority is given to social cohesion through meeting place projects.
An open space will be developed at Plaine Luc Gustin to host activities throughout the year. Le Cercle Saint-Lambert will be converted into a village hall, and the Ferme de la Grosse Tour will undergo a complete renovation. Environmental initiatives may also emerge, such as flood control measures or ecological networking.
These programmes, built through a participatory approach, closely involve citizens, local authorities and socio-economic stakeholders in the area. They reflect a determination to strengthen the dynamism of rural municipalities while providing concrete answers to current challenges: sustainable development, employment, the environment, housing, mobility, and so on.
Each PCDR provides access to regional subsidies of up to 80% for the implementation of projects.
While many rural Walloon municipalities, such as Grez-Doiceau, are already on their second or third generation programme, Burdinne is carrying out its first Rural Development Operation (ODR).
“The programmes of Grez-Doiceau and Burdinne demonstrate the full relevance of participatory rural development. Our ambition now is to go further: to simplify and speed up this policy in order to strengthen the impact of projects and concretely improve the lives of citizens in our rural municipalities,” says Minister Anne-Catherine Dalcq.
Rural areas account for nearly 80% of Walloon territory and are a priority for the Government.
A reform is underway to strengthen the effectiveness of existing tools. A first phase of administrative simplification is nearing completion, as part of a programme decree. A more structural reform will follow, developed together with those working on the ground. The objective is clear: simplify procedures, speed up the realisation of projects, strengthen citizen participation and ensure optimal use of public resources.