The Landscape Law of 8 January 1993 (art. L. 350-1 and following of the environment code) has created an instrument for the protection and enhancement of landscapes, the Landscape Directive. The landscape directive aims to be both a regulatory tool for protection aimed at controlling the evolution of landscapes on a relevant territory, and a reference tool containing recommendations for the management of space.
Initiated by order of the Minister of the Environment of June 11, 2018, the directive for the protection and enhancement of landscapes intended to preserve the views of Chartres cathedral aims to maintain the visibility of the cathedral on its horizon.
Indeed, Chartres Cathedral is a symbol and an outstanding example of a Gothic cathedral, inscribed as such on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It occupies a remarkable position in the Beauce plain. Its silhouette, observable from afar, is a particularly suggestive sign in the landscape.
The landscape directive dictates guidelines and fundamental principles, in particular regulating the heights of buildings and plantations, defining an exclusion zone for very tall objects (such as wind turbines), regulating the locations of new isolated pylons, defining a chromatic scale palette for better integrating new construction into the landscape and defining good practices for plantings. These principles ensure that the sight of the monument is maintained while allowing for the necessary land development.
The directive has been the subject of extensive consultation with local authorities, professional organizations and associations concerned. It applies to a perimeter including 102 municipalities, within which the main views towards the cathedral are listed, ranging from close-up (less than 1km) to distant (up to 30km).
It applies to urban planning documents under the conditions set forth in articles L. 131-1 et L. 131-6 of the town planning code (compatibility between territorial coherence schemes and local town planning plans).
This guideline is endorsed by a decree of 7 December.
