Loire Valley World Heritage management plan

Shared management of the listed site

The very large surface area of this site (280 kilometres long), the very high number of stakeholders and emergence of disputes over new projects justify that this framework management document be shared by all stakeholders and form a joint reference for shared management of the listed section of the Loire Valley.
  
The French State, as a pledge to sustain this listing before the international community, has undertaken to set up a management plan for the site in liaison with the Centre and Pays de la Loire regions as well as all the public authorities in the Loire Valley.  

A first draft of the management plan

A first draft of the management plan was written by various State departments (Centre and Pays de Loire Diren, Centre DRAC, SDAP of the four départements concerned) with input from the Mission Val de Loire.
  
The French Ministries of Culture and Ecology - which relay with UNESCO - have approved the procedure and this first draft of the management plan. This also received the backing of the National Committee of French World Heritage Properties on 28^th September 2009 and was presented on 29^th September at the Loire Valley Regional Conference.
  
The plan has been outlined to the local stakeholders who met in Tours on Tuesday 14^th December 2009 for the Loire Valley - World Heritage Rendezvous.  

Four sections make up the document at present:  

• identity values: definition of the heritage and landscape aspects that justified inclusion in the World Heritage list

• threats: analysis of the risks of impacts likely to alter or damage these identity values

• an action plan, focusing on the areas of land development and management and aimed at protecting and enhancing the identity values, organised into 9 main objectives which in turn are broken down into proposals for action
    
  
  • Protect and enhance the heritage and remarkable spots
  • Keep the Valley's landscapes open and maintain the views over the Loire
  • Control urban sprawl
  • Organise urban development
  • Integrate new infrastructure successfully into the landscape
  • Promote the gateways into and the main tourist sites of the Loire Valley
  • Promote sustainable tourism
  • Foster assimilation of the listing's values by all stakeholders
  • Assist decision-makers with advice and constant guidance

• the State's commitments, encompassing the actions falling within the specific remit of the State and particularly involving the implementation of new regulatory protection

The consultation approach

A consultation period is being carried out on the basis of the document first draft: 

• with the Centre and Pays de la Loire regions, who run the regional conference together with the State

• with all local authorities (towns and villages, communities of towns and villages and county councils), conducted in each département under the auspices of the Prefect,

This consultation period should lead to a fifth section being added to the plan on the local authorities' commitments in terms of regional, environmental, tourism and educational policies.
  
Presentation meetings for the management plan were held in 2010. It has been sent to the local authorities for them to give their written opinions. 

The third version has been prepared with the opinions of the local authorities and associations. 

Download:

• Fourth draft of the management plan  (November 2011)
• Summary of the management plan