I thought the area of the plateau de Millevache was quite well defined and didn’t know that comunes could elect to join or not. I’m fairly certain “membership” has never been on the agenda of any of our CM meetings.
Not sure if a final decision about the pellet factory has been made yet, but there is a massive amount of opposition. There are only a few examples of graffiti in Felletin, mainly against this proposed factory.
There was a plan to expand the boundaries of the PNR to include extra communes (if they qualified and met the criteria). One was Feyt in Correze, and all the rest are in Creuse such as Faux Mazuras, St Martin Chateau, and about 6 or 7 others. I know St Martin Chateau is going.
Certainly not.
Under more recent planning rules, when a property becomes hors d’air hors d’eau, the tax situation is triggered - explained here.
Graham this sort of explanatory stuff is really helpful to the generally interested but otherwise total ignoramus on matters technical, like building and the built environment, like moi!
Many thanks! 
Also, for projects that have had planning permission you have to make a declaration that the works are complete. And if you don’t, and don’t send in a new schedule/explanation, you start getting nagged by the planning authority. So if you have moved in to your building and are using it it is a bit of a giveaway that your works are actually practically complete.
I live in north Mayenne in a very pretty village but I think that rural parts of France can be very deprived. Young people need to find work to be able to stay where they grow up and this can be difficult as farms are often a one or two man band now due to mechanisation. I have also been told by U.K. people who have lived here longer that their French neighbours don’t seem to spend money on their houses or decorate or buy new furniture - our obsession with improving property has passed them by.emphasized text
We live in South Aveyron in a tiny hamlet called Cantobre. It was deserted after 1920 but in the 60s people slowly started to come back and make some homes out of the ruins. Developement is overseen by Bâtiments de France which can be very prescriptive about what material can be used in any building improvement. The hamlet is home to about 16 people all the year round in 6 houses. The other 24 houses are 2nd homes or gites. There are no shops. Our nearest biggish town is Millau which is famous for its viaduct which opened in 2004. Millau seems to be a thriving town which attracts people to its Natural Games events during the year. The tourist industry is quite busy though not so that the natural beauty of the area is spoiled. Our commune village Nant is 6 km from us and covers a land mass of 100 square kilometers and population is roughly 1000. New houses continue to be built in Nant. Discussing it with my husband Lionel we have a strong sense that our area is very well cared for, is growing, though not overly quickly . The Tourist industry is good and increasing tourist-centric . Local inhabitants are generally happy and enjoy living here. Methinks we are blessed !
My daughter lives in Sheffield and the steel for the Millau viaduct comes from there. Her apartment block is named Millau after the French town.
The village is increasingly vibrant as the mayor is providing plots of land at very reasonable prices so that young couples can build.
We have a creche, school, lycee forestier, maison de retraite, & cimetiere…& as the mayor says, the village caters for residents from birth to their passing.
He’s very pro-active & I hope that this is not his final term of office, as is largely rumoured.
Great topic!
I bought a house in the Yonne district of Bourgogne. I was also surprised at how run down and “ghost-townish” some of the small villages are. I have not been here in the summer months, however. I have now been to my house about 5 times and you just have to “scratch the surface” to really get to know your area and the people. Find your local favorite spots. I agree that the government has to do something or the villages will just dry up. There needs to be a source of income for the next generation. Or offer houses for a $1 and a minimum investment to restore it like they do in Italy. That would encourage investment.
My village is 1 hr on the high speed train from Paris. A handful of people commute there but I am surprised more do not.
There are several beautiful villages nearby (Noyers sur Surein, Semur en Axois, Chablis) as well as larger towns where you can find supermarches and everything you need from that standpoint. I am also seeing some signs of economic rebirth in my area. I believe in all it has to offer and happy to invest in my little corner of France.
Cheers!
Laurie