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30 May 2018
Staying in line with the decisions handed down by the Conseil d'Etat (Council of State) in an interim hearing, the Paris Tribunal de grande instance (regional court) and the Paris Tribunal administratif (administrative tribunal), the Paris Cour administrative d’appel (administrative appeals court) has, in turn, agreed with the French Tennis Federation (Fédération Française de Tennis, or FFT) on the modernisation of its world-renowned Roland-Garros international tennis stadium.
On Thursday 24 May 2018, the Paris administrative appeals court rejected every single point raised by local associations that demanded the cancellation of planning permissions granted in June 2015 by the City of Paris to the FFT, which authorised in particular the raising of the Central Court roofing, as well as the construction of a semi-buried court with seating capacity for 5,000 people in the nearby Serres d'Auteuil botanical gardens, part of which is classified as a historical monument.
The court indicates that this modernisation project has always been conducted by the FFT with the utmost respect for heritage, environmental and ecological concerns, and with extensive consultation.
The demands of these associations had already been dismissed in February 2017 by the Paris Tribunal administratif, which had deemed that the FFT's project respected the rules of the capital's local planning regulations, and did not impact the interest or the character of nearby sites. This most recent decision thus puts an end to the long legal battle that began in 2011.
As the associations' appeal did not stay the judgment, refurbishment and construction works are already well advanced. Millstone buildings in the botanical gardens' Orangerie sector have been entirely refurbished, and the new village, new courts 7 and 9, and new show court in the Fond des Princes area are in service for the tournament's 2018 edition. In 2019, the Philippe Chartrier court will be refurbished, and the Simonne-Mathieu court, which draws inspiration from the local Auteuil botanical gardens, will open.
This case was handled by partners Emmanuel Vital-Durand and Bénédicte Mazel, with associates Lucie Pernet and Alice Le Neel, all from our Public Law & Environment practice group.
