Between heart and reason. Can we sell off our built heritage, some of which is several hundred years old, even if it is costly to renovate? The question loomed large over the town councils of Bex and Ormont-Dessus in mid-December.
In the Cité du Sel, Jean-François Cossetto, Municipal Councillor for Estates and Buildings, reported that a review of the old colleges was underway. In Les Posses, Frenières, Les Plans, Fenalet, Les Dévens and Le Châtel, the old buildings are used by tenants or as rooms for local companies, rented out to private individuals or used by municipal services to store equipment.
‘It's not just a question of heritage, but also of heavy and costly work. The alternative is to build them or sell them.
Jean-François Cossetto, Town Councillor for Estates and Buildings
These buildings have another thing in common: they're showing their age. ‘As a municipality, we're going to have to decide on a case-by-case basis. They're part of our heritage, but they're also going to require major and costly work. The alternative is to do them or sell them. It's not an easy choice, and to sell them would not be a very popular decision, but we have to think about it.

The first decision was taken in Les Plans-sur-Bex, where the old secondary school no longer has a future in municipal hands. Instead, the municipality has decided to renovate the former Garage Guillard building, located right next to the chapel, which currently houses the ski club's ratrac, snow clearance service equipment and a flat. A community hall is planned for the future. As for the old college, which is in a sorry state of repair, it will be sold. ‘According to Jean-François Cossetto, the relevant notice is due in March.
As for the old Collège du Châtel, the announcement that the current tenant of the flat was leaving precipitated the decision to change its use and refresh the premises. We're probably going to redo a room,’ adds the local councillor. As for the rest, we're taking things one step at a time.

Priority chalets

In Ormont-Dessus, it's the 18 communally-owned mountain chalets that are causing concern, the worthy representatives of this ‘mountain pasture season’, which was listed as an intangible cultural heritage site by UNESCO as recently as the beginning of December.

Here too, the heart still prevailed over reason, but at what cost? CHF 500,000 is the sum that the Town Council proposed to release at the last Municipal Council to bring four of the most dilapidated buildings up to standard and renovate them by 2026.

It's a priority, because we're so far behind schedule - 20 years at the very least,’ lamented syndic Christian Reber. These buildings are in a state of disrepair. It sometimes rains inside and some of the beams are struggling to support the structure. The working conditions of the amodiataires - the tenants and managers of these chalets - also depend on it.

The Communal Council followed the councillor's lead and approved a sum which, together with federal and cantonal support, will cover the estimated CHF 750,000 needed to renovate the chalets on the En Pillon, Coufin, Marmèche and Chalet Vieux mountain pastures.
However, councillor Luc Peneveyre ventured a question that seemed forever taboo on the Alps: ‘Should all these mountain pastures really be preserved? Has the municipality given the matter any thought? Of course, they're a rich heritage, but they're difficult to maintain. Shouldn't 1-2 of them be released to the tenants? No answer at the time.
At the end of the meeting, the question was put to the syndic. ‘It's not a topical issue. For the time being, we want to try and keep them in good condition - they're part of our local heritage.

Sources: 24heures newspaper (17 January 2024)

Text Karim Di Matteo

Photo Chantal Dervey

About Cerise Immobilier gérance et courtage, estate agency in Villars-sur-Ollon

Cerise Immobilier gérance et courtage is a real estate agency located in Villars-sur-Ollon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It offers services in sales, purchases, rentals, PPE management, property valuations and tax and legal advice. We cover the Chablais region of Vaud, in particular the communes of Ollon, Gryon, Bex, Aigle, Les Diablerêts, Chessel, Leysin, Lavey, Noville, Roche, Yvorne and Villeuneuve.

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