Blog :: Dieppe seen by Peter Avis

Democracy, Dieppe style | 06/02/2010

Cq-pollet You can find the ‘democracy shop’ in Dieppe just off the Place Nationale, opposite the great pile of St Jacques Church and next door to the launderette. Above the entrance are the words ‘Service Démocratie Locale et Citoyenneté’. The unusual ‘shop’ is part of a local initiative to bring people into decision-making. It’s a Citizen’s Advice Bureau with a difference.

We are all accustomed to talking about ‘they’ and ‘them’, not ‘we’ and ‘us’, when we discuss who decides how our town, our country or our world are run. Decisions are the job of rulers : we are the ruled and our role is to grumble among ourselves.

The notion of ‘participative democracy’ is designed to upset this ancient applecart: to make everybody feel involved in running the show, and to let the authorities know what we think and need before they decide what to do.

Over the past year, hundreds of Dieppe citizens have taken part in public meetings called in five areas of the town to tell the mayor and councillors what they want done. Issues raised include road safety and traffic control, pedestrianisation, street cleaning, rubbish collection, noisy neighbours, play facilities… all sorts of questions we are accustomed to discuss among ourselves while fulminating against the anonymous service-providers we do not meet.

The local meetings have led to the creation of a ‘conseil de quartier’ in each area. Béatrice Delandre, who is the assistant mayor responsible for ‘démocratie participative’, explains the aim of getting councillors to explain their projects to the people, and of getting people to use their local knowledge to influence future decision-making. ‘We shall have succeeded in this initiative when every Dieppois feels authorised to join in the process,’ says Béatrice Delandre.

An extension of the pedestrianisation scheme beyond the town centre is one of the first fruits of the new consultation process. Now, the council has decided to institute official warnings and on-the-spot fines for dog-owners who fail to clean up the visiting cards left on pavements by their dear pets : dog mess has been one of the main complaints at the meetings.

Controversial issues get raised. One is a proposal to establish a plant for reconditioning imported agricultural fertiliser, to revive activity and create jobs in a deserted area of the port. Opponents say the activity will be polluting. The mayor says the final decision will depend on an inquiry by the government agency equipped to pronounce on the safety aspects of the proposed development.

Shopkeeper Isabelle Hardy is all for the new local meetings as long as they deal with concrete issues. ‘The council invites us to these meetings,’ she says, ‘and that’s fine. We don’t all share the same political ideas, but at least we can discuss, and when we use our intelligence we go ahead. Because we have a common interest and that is the welfare of our town.’

If you are in Dieppe, pop in to the ‘democracy shop’, pick up the leaflets and (if you speak French) pose any questions to Vincent, Bruno or Sophie who keep the show on the road.

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