In the west of the country and bordering Begique, Redange on Attert can put forward some superb assets. Especially since the PAG frees up building space.

"We have invested a lot of time in the elaboration of the PAG, which has just been definitively adopted, because we want a controlled development of our municipality", underlines the mayor of Redange (Reiden), Henri Mausen, surrounded by his two aldermen TomFaber and Fiore Reding, when he receives atHome to present this municipality, which, in addition to the chief town Redange, includes the entities of Lannen, Nagem, Niederpallen, Ospem and Reichlange.

The three councillors are proud to mention another remarkable point: "We are one of the few municipalities in the country where everything works very well internally, we work as a team with the whole council and the files are divided between the nine councillors. "We want dialogue with all the actors and everyone participates. This can only be of benefit to the municipality and, above all, to all its inhabitants.

Indeed, Redange is not often in the news. Except when it comes to its infrastructures, which are of the highest quality, and its willingness to use alternative energies, which is another sign that does not deceive.

Away from the urban frenzy

Nestled in the heart of the Attert valley, a tributary of the Alzette, Redange has the enormous advantage of being in a real green setting, where forests and countryside offer magnificent landscapes that change with the seasons and the light, and much appreciated opportunities for walks in nature, far from the urban frenzy. So much so that the commune, which is still very rural, can sometimes appear somewhat sleepy. Apparently, because it is anything but. The number of shops in the main street of the main town bears witness to this.

This means that Redange is sought after by both individuals and companies. Individuals come here in search of peace and quiet and quality of life, while enjoying all kinds of shops and being only a few kilometres away from various shopping centres and the capital. "Moreover, Redange has a very competitive public transport offer, with buses leaving every hour in all directions from our bus station," emphasises alderman Tom Faber. His colleague Fiore Reding added: "Another clear sign of the interest in our municipality is that the traffic study carried out as part of the preparation of the PAG revealed that more than eight thousand cars pass through the main street of Redange every day. "It is for this reason, and because our will was, through this PAG, to design a coherent and environmentally friendly development for our town with a twenty to thirty year projection, that a relief road will be built. I insist on the word 'relief'," continues the alderman, "because it is a question of promoting the quality of life and the commercial attractiveness; this has nothing to do with any kind of bypass.

And if Redange also attracts companies wishing to set up, in particular on the Solupla regional activity zone, "it is because our common border with Belgium not only opens up markets, but also makes it possible to attract a cross-border workforce that will not have to suffer the daily traffic jams on the roads to Luxembourg, with all their hazards. "And quality is one of the most important criteria for setting up a business, while we also check with the companies that are already present and interested in collaborating with our school.

And to note that public services are also in demand to return to the territory, including the inspectorate.

Freeing up building space

The mayor and his two aldermen concede that the population of Redange-sur-Attert is stagnating or almost stagnating. It was at 1^er As of 1 January 2014, the total number of persons in the six entities of the municipality was 2,708. As of 1^er As of January 1, 2013, the last available statistics on this subject, Redange had 197 inhabitants of Belgian origin, 70 of French origin and 44 of German origin (the other origins being much less significant). "From 2010 to 2013, the population only increased by about 200 inhabitants," says Henri Mausen. "This is not due to a lack of interest, quite the contrary, since many people are looking to settle here, as are developers looking for land, but simply because we had no more building space available. One of the main objectives of the PAG was therefore to be able to have new developable areas to accommodate these people. This has been done, with the 20 hectares provided for in the PAG.

Social and controlled development

But both the mayor and his two aldermen insist - and they will come back to this several times during their conversation with AtHome - that there is no question of suddenly letting anything and everything go. "We will scrupulously follow a controlled development, in particular to avoid any financial problems for the commune. The areas freed up by the PAG will be developed in the medium term for some, in the longer term for others. And we will always ensure that there is a social mix as well as a mix of housing and shops. The municipality will also build sheltered housing on the few places it has. This will of course be done with a view to improving the quality of life.

A clear indication of this is the urban planning requirements set by the municipality when converting an existing house or building a new one in the main street of Redange. "We do not want to become a dormitory town. Therefore, we require that when flats are built, the ground floor must be commercial. The heritage must also be respected. The mayor believes that this is all the more important as the main town and in particular its centre will inevitably grow faster than the surrounding villages.

This (re)development thanks to the PAG is a source of great satisfaction to the town councillors, since the provision of new building sites should also lead to a rejuvenation of the population.

The result is that several PAPs are already awaiting approval and more are being announced. These include both houses and flat blocks, and a large development is planned on the former Cactus site.

All of this is accompanied by work and projects for sanitation and modernisation, such as the installation of a separate sewer system, etc. But also a new communal workshop, new premises for the fire brigade, a new high school "to better meet educational needs and respect for the environment", etc.

Protecting the natural environment

The town councillors and representatives of Redange have also perfectly understood that the environment is one of their strongest assets, both in terms of attracting a new population and developing a tourist offer of natural discovery. "We have just acquired land that will strengthen our programme for the protection of the natural environment, with compensation for the new building sites, but which will also enable schools to provide education on the sustainable environment," adds Henri Mausen.

As for green and alternative energies, Redange is known beyond its borders for having created the first - and largest - biomethanisation installation in the country, which already supplies part of the municipal buildings. But the municipality has also opted for pellet heating and is actively working to improve the insulation of all its buildings.

Enough to make many envious...