In Saint-Aubin-sur-Yonne, the old lock keeper’s house changes village life

I hope they like it! Busy in the kitchen, Sharon contemplates a soft, still warm crumble that she will serve to visitors expected for the evening concert. This British volunteer is on duty at The Next Aire, a former lock keeper’s house transformed into a third place, full of meetings and activities. An original place, at the water’s edge, which revitalizes an entire village: Saint-Aubin-sur-Yonne (Yonne).

In 2023, a couple who are keen on cycling discover the abandoned building. Lise and Bruno, barely 30 years old, had a click: why not create a “cycle route area” – snub to motorway areas – as there are still too few of them? Newly settled in the neighboring town of Joigny, they quickly understand that they will have to go about things gently: “It’s a village of 400 inhabitants where there are no more shops. We were afraid of coming up with something new and being perceived as “ecological Parisians”. It took time to gain people’s trust,” confides Lise.

With Bruno, she contacted Jean-Pierre Baussart, the mayor of Saint-Aubin. They surrounded themselves with volunteers and launched consultations to design a place in line with local expectations: grocery store (organic and local) at low prices, café, tavern, self-repair workshop, bread depot, stopover lodge… “With the closure of bistros and shops, the village became isolated. Here, we simply offer a place to meet up,” points out Lise.

Then, they contact Voies navigables de France (VNF), which manages the public river domain. Over the years, the automation of the locks has caused these buildings on the water’s edge, complete with a garden, to fall into oblivion. “In a call for projects entitled Open Canal, VNF proposed the resumption of 70 unoccupied houses to open them to new projects along the canal,” says Elsa Perreau, who takes care of the development of waterways at the Burgundian branch of the VNF. The rent is within reach of the association: 300 euros monthly. Banco! The next area was born.

A third place designed with and for residents

The idea: a space by and for residents, supported by around twenty volunteers in shared governance. François and Michèle, two retirees who arrived in the village three years ago, are present. “We are not very social but, when we saw what was happening with the lock house, we offered to hold opening slots and think about entertainment.”

Sharon landed here thanks to the Workaway network, where she is taking a break before resuming her journey to Austria. As a kitchen attendant, she observes this unique model. “There are initiatives like this everywhere, you have to tell your readers! What I like here is that everyone pitches in.”

Open since June 2024, the place was financed thanks to citizen participation: 10,000 euros were raised to restore the house, provide accommodation for volunteers from elsewhere, like Sharon, clean the surroundings of the house and create a small vegetable garden. The programming is so rich that The Next Area has been promoted to the rank of “social living space” by the Family Allowance Fund.

The site obtained a grant of 25,000 euros in order to continue to enliven the village during the winter. “Participatory projects are on the program, in particular the manufacture of a pergola to offer better comfort during heatwaves,” explains Édith, a super active yoga teacher and pillar of the place.

a project that goes beyond divisions

The next area has become a real local café. People now come here for a cold drink, a homemade pizza, a yoga class, a bike repair, their bread or just a bit of a chat. In a region supported by the National Rally, the project succeeds in overcoming divisions. “Even if everyone guesses the political opinions of their neighbors, it is not a question here of judging or convincing the other but of doing things together, with a common objective of recreating links,” indicates Franklin, one of the coordinators of the place.

“Without being on the same side, we can work together. There may be hostile ideas, but not people,” adds Bruno. The dynamic wants to continue for this deeply political but non-partisan project. As the village mayor points out: “Whether you vote green, yellow or black, this café is a godsend, we can see that!”