Houx Annexe - the future?

[JulesV]

For years there have been rumours of Houx Annexe being developed into a car park, houses or football stadium,

Does anyone know whether this really was the last year of the Annexe? Where will everyone go instead?

Maybe Pistonheads should club together and buy it in order to preserve a little bit of England!

[E36GUY]

There is a new football stadium being built for Le Mans FC but I was told that was going to be on the Maison Blanche area.

[lowdrag]

Nope, the new stadium - if it ever gets built because they haven't found a sponsor - will be on Houx Annexe. Maison Blanche is not affected. There are many here who are not in favour of the new stadium because of the cost and because Le Mans have been known as a "ascenceur" team, which means either going up or going down if you get the drift. The county and town council want it because they'll do anything to spend our money (witness the debacle of the tramway)but unless a serious sponsor is found Houx will be safe for years to come, let alone next year.

[JulesV]

Excellent, thats nice to know. Keep us informed if you can.

[cooperlola]

Interesting. Quote from an e-mail received by me last week from the ACO
"en effet, l'Aire d'Acceiul Houx Annexe n'existe plus en 2008" (HA camping will no longer exist in '08.)
My own instinct would be to book it but make sure you ask for an alternative too.

Edited by cooperlola on Monday 25th June 12:16

[lowdrag]

I agree Cooperlola, but at the same time the tramway was going to be finished a year back! Yes, the Houx Annexe will disappear IF they find a sponsor for the new football stadium, but at the moment it isn't in sight. Like you said, book and hope, and it is reasonable (at the moment) to expect that Houx Annexe will be available next year. If not, I am wondering quite what the ACO are going to do about it. Will they try and supply alternative camping? Could there be a place behind the Technoparc which at the moment is open fields for example? I really don't know, but the influx of people for the Le Mans weekend is very important to La Sarthe in economic terms and we need the visitors. Can you suggest an alternative? There are open fields between Arnage and the Porsche curves which might fit the bill too.

[JulesV]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like we may be OK for another year. Any new campsite will I suppose end up further away from all the action. Most of HA was also not too muddy this year so it would be a shame if we end up on some far flung field. I also wondered about the fields just to the left as you pass under the Tetre Rouge bridge heading in to the circuit. They would make quite an acceptable alternative.

Edited by JulesV on Tuesday 26th June 09:59

[cooperlola]

Lowdrag, I, like you, can't imagine that the ACO aren't doing there best to find more camping - numbers were up again this year and if the Pug develops and the French sniff an even greater possiblility of a home win, then the trend will continue. And Aston's success will keep the Brits coming. However, yes, it's inevitable that these campsites will be further and further away.

Rumours have been flying about on the subject of the ACO providing all the tents and preventing any food prep' except inside campers and caravans - do you know where this comes from? - it's probably only talk but is there even a grain of truth in it?

Book early to avoid dissappointment - if you haven't got your applications in by now then I'd be amazed if anything other than BSJ and any new campsites will be available. Like lowdrag, I cannot imagine there'll be fewer camping spaces, just less convenient ones. The Sarthe is not the richest part of France and the race provides a huge financial injection for the region. It's clear that the local powers that be appreciate this from all of our tax euros which they have spent on improvements. Can't imagine Northamptonshire County Council investing in Silverstone, can you?

[JulesV]

cooperlola said:

Lowdrag, I, like you, can't imagine that the ACO aren't doing there best to find more camping - numbers were up again this year and if the Pug develops and the French sniff an even greater possiblility of a home win, then the trend will continue. And Aston's success will keep the Brits coming. However, yes, it's inevitable that these campsites will be further and further away.

Rumours have been flying about on the subject of the ACO providing all the tents and preventing any food prep' except inside campers and caravans - do you know where this comes from? - it's probably only talk but is there even a grain of truth in it?

Book early to avoid dissappointment - if you haven't got your applications in by now then I'd be amazed if anything other than BSJ and any new campsites will be available. Like lowdrag, I cannot imagine there'll be fewer camping spaces, just less convenient ones. The Sarthe is not the richest part of France and the race provides a huge financial injection for the region. It's clear that the local powers that be appreciate this from all of our tax euros which they have spent on improvements. Can't imagine Northamptonshire County Council investing in Silverstone, can you?

There will be lots of hungry people than as virtually everyone seems to cook at least some of their food. How would they police that? A big drinking session around the barbecue is a large part of the fun.

[lowdrag]

Well, I'll be talking to Daniel Poissenot and a few others shortly but frankly the idea of the ACO providing tents is not even a starter. As for people not being able to prepare their own food, who on earth would try and police it? Remember that the temporary hired help for the LM race is all on basic minimum wage. A tent get's stolen (make that 100) and who pays? The pikeys who nicked them? No, I feel that with the new hotel on the Mulsanne bend being built shortly, (Campanile) owned by Sarrain the ex bike rider and other projects then we'll be scratching our heads for camping shortly. Extend BSJ, behind the technoparc and so on, but frankly all together is going to be impossible. Also, remember that next year MB will have numbered places. The ACO are money mad and provide as little as possible for the money you pay. Where they are going to put us all in future I dread to think. Incidentally, I wonder where you got the rumour? Let me know. For those who are thinking of the Classic next year, camping is freely available but as for hotels - get booked now if you can.

[t1grm]

lowdrag said:

Well, I'll be talking to Daniel Poissenot and a few others shortly but frankly the idea of the ACO providing tents is not even a starter. As for people not being able to prepare their own food, who on earth would try and police it? Remember that the temporary hired help for the LM race is all on basic minimum wage. A tent get's stolen (make that 100) and who pays? The pikeys who nicked them? No, I feel that with the new hotel on the Mulsanne bend being built shortly, (Campanile) owned by Sarrain the ex bike rider and other projects then we'll be scratching our heads for camping shortly. Extend BSJ, behind the technoparc and so on, but frankly all together is going to be impossible. Also, remember that next year MB will have numbered places. The ACO are money mad and provide as little as possible for the money you pay. Where they are going to put us all in future I dread to think. Incidentally, I wonder where you got the rumour? Let me know. For those who are thinking of the Classic next year, camping is freely available but as for hotels - get booked now if you can.

There was a new camping area by Tetre Rouge this year where the tents - replete with Le Mans logos - were pitched and the price of the campsite included you being allowed to take the tent with you at the end of the weekend. With a 2 man tent available for less than 50 EUR retail the ACO could probably get them for less than half that when buying by the thousand and can just add a premium to each campsite ticket. So I can see this as being quite an attractive business model for them. I agree it would take the fun out of the camping though.

Mind you, no more camping for me after the rain this year. Already got the hotel booked for 08!

[b3bvn]

I've just noticed this blog after posting one this morning. I've just been told that no bookings have been taken for Houx Annex for 2008 as the ACO are planning to build on it. There is a reserve list should they change their mind. According to my source 70% of HA will disappear under the new plans.

[cooperlola]

I can't remember where I saw this l/d but I'll find the link and post it. Sounded like twaddle to me but as ever was quoted as being from a "reliable source!" Ha, ha.

[JulesV]

Take away the ability to do what you want, when you want and how you want from the campsites and a huge chunk of the appeal of Le Mans will go. The site at Tetre Rouge looked like a prison encampment compared to Houx Annexe. No space for gazebos, barbecues, cars etc.

[cooperlola]

I can see the ready-pitched tent thing being a godsend for people arriving by train. Next year with the tramway up and running it will make life very easy for people without cars. But I can't imagine it's the future for every site, for one moment. I still can't find that post l/d -I'm sure it was on here somewhere!

[JulesV]

Any further news on this? Still can't bear the thought of no Houx Annexe.

[lowdrag]

I shall be at the circuit next week and will go to the ACO office if I remember to and see what the up to date position is. I doubt they even know though - things are very fluid. I still can't see the new stadium being built for a yeat or so though - the last Premier Division match here had 10,000 spectators. I can't see that it is really for the moment viable. IMHO no decision though will probably be taken until next year.

[E36GUY]

HA is almost certainly going to disappear. All to do with the stadium for Le Mans footbal club being built near the track. However, whether it disappears for 2008 is dependent on when the building starts. We might be lucky, we might not.

ACO told me last year that they are trying to buy the land either side of the track nearest Beausejour in order to extend that site.

[JulesV]

lowdrag said:

I shall be at the circuit next week and will go to the ACO office if I remember to and see what the up to date position is. I doubt they even know though - things are very fluid. I still can't see the new stadium being built for a yeat or so though - the last Premier Division match here had 10,000 spectators. I can't see that it is really for the moment viable. IMHO no decision though will probably be taken until next year.

Thanks. Would be great if you could find out any more.

[lowdrag]

According to information received today it seems that the new stadium will start to be built at the end of the year and that Houx Annexe will no longer exist next year for Le Mans. Sorry and all that. You'll have to look elsewhere. Furthermore, for those who stayed at the Etangs des Cheres fishing south of Mulsanne I would say that it is doubtful that it will be open next year either. That is to be confirmed but I would at least advise you to start to make other arrangements. It is getting more and more difficult to find accomodation here.