Plans to put a second mast on the Hermitage hill have been “buried” – at least, temporarily.
The Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy has put the proposal on ice, according to the French regional newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré.
In an email seen by Le Dauphiné, the Ministry explained that a mast cannot be erected on the hill while it is in the process of being classified as a national heritage site, thereby granting it a 12-month reprieve.
If the hill wins national heritage status following its application, this ruling could remain in stone, leaving the Hermitage hill free of another eyesore.
The move will be welcomed by those who have rallied against the second mast for more than a year. Caroline Frey, owner and winemaker of Paul Jaboulet, together with prominent Rhône Valley producers, asked for help to protect the signature landscape of La Chapelle; which, is the Rhône Valley’s oldest and “most sacred vineyard” according to Frey.
More than 1700 people signed an online petition calling for the Hermitage hill to be saved from “the installation of a useless television mast.”
Other high profile opponents of the mast included Jacques Berthomeau, Emmanuel Delas, Jancis Robinson MW, and French weekly magazine Paris-Match.
