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| Communauté de communes du Ternois | |
|---|---|
| Name | Communauté de communes du Ternois |
| Settlement type | Communauté de communes |
| Subdivision type | Country |
| Subdivision name | France |
| Subdivision type1 | Region |
| Subdivision name1 | Hauts-de-France |
| Subdivision type2 | Department |
| Subdivision name2 | Pas-de-Calais |
| Seat | Bapaume |
| Area km2 | 633.0 |
| Population | 33,000 |
| Population as of | 2019 |
Communauté de communes du Ternois is an intercommunal structure in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Centered historically and administratively in Bapaume, it groups numerous rural communes around the valley of the Ternoise River. The communauté de communes coordinates local services, spatial planning, and economic initiatives among member communes, linking localities such as Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, Hesdin, Frévent, Auchel and others across a largely agricultural and heritage-rich territory.
The institutional origins of the communauté can be traced to national territorial reforms like the Loi Chevènement and subsequent acts reshaping intercommunality such as the NOTRe law and reforms under the François Hollande administration. Local consolidation efforts followed trends set by earlier decentralization measures like the Loi Defferre and administrative reorganizations exemplified by mergers in neighbouring intercommunalities such as the Communauté d'agglomération du Douaisis. The evolution of communal cooperation in the Ternois reflects historical influences from the Battle of Bapaume (1871), the Battle of the Somme, and reconstruction periods after the First World War, when communal rebuilding paralleled cooperative municipal initiatives across Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie territories.
The territory lies within the rural plateaus and river valleys characteristic of Artois and the southern fringes of Pas-de-Calais, intersected by the Ternoise River and tributaries feeding into the Canche River basin. The communauté comprises communes including Bapaume, Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, Hesdin, Frévent, Aubin-Saint-Vaast, Bully-les-Mines and many smaller villages, forming a network that connects to transport corridors such as the A26 autoroute, regional rail links toward Arras and Amiens, and departmental roads linking to Saint-Omer and Berck. Topography ranges from low valleys to rolling hills, with agricultural land, hedgerows, and pockets of woodland similar to landscapes in Picardy and Artois.
The communauté is governed by a council of delegates from member communes, presided over by a president elected from among municipal representatives; its institutional framework adheres to provisions of the Code général des collectivités territoriales. Cooperation mechanisms mirror practices used in larger intercommunal bodies like the Métropole Européenne de Lille and the Communauté urbaine d'Arras for shared competences such as waste management, land use planning under Schéma de Cohérence Territoriale models, and economic development strategies comparable to initiatives in the Région Hauts-de-France. Administrative headquarters historically situated in Bapaume coordinate thematic commissions on environment, infrastructure, and cultural affairs, interacting with departmental authorities in Arras and regional bodies in Lille.
Population distribution follows rural patterns observed across Pas-de-Calais, with demographic concentrations in central towns like Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise and diffuse settlements in hamlets and villages. Socio-demographic trends include aging populations similar to adjacent rural cantons, migration toward urban centres such as Lille, Amiens, and Arras, and demographic shifts associated with economic transformations seen in former mining and textile regions like Lens and Roubaix. Population density varies markedly across member communes, affecting service provision, schooling networks tied to institutions such as local collèges and lycées, and healthcare access coordinated with regional hospitals in Arras and Saint-Omer.
The local economy is anchored in agriculture—cereal crops, dairy farming, and mixed agriculture—reflecting patterns in Artois and the Somme basin, complemented by small-scale manufacturing, artisanal enterprises, and local commerce concentrated in market towns such as Hesdin and Bapaume. Industrial heritage linked to mining in nearby Bully-les-Mines and textile activity in Roubaix has influenced workforce mobility and vocational retraining programs modelled after initiatives in Lens and Douai. Infrastructure projects emphasize rural broadband deployment in coordination with regional digital plans of Hauts-de-France, road maintenance funded through departmental programs of Pas-de-Calais, and intermodal links to rail stations on lines toward Arras and Calais.
The territory preserves architectural and commemorative heritage including medieval churches, châteaux, and First World War cemeteries maintained by organizations such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and commemorated alongside sites related to the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Arras. Cultural programming draws on regional festivals in Hesdin and heritage routes connecting to museums in Arras and Amiens, while gastronomy reflects regional products of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and culinary traditions akin to those promoted by the Institut National de la Consommation. Tourism strategies leverage rural trails, heritage circuits, and cycling routes linked to national itineraries like the EuroVelo network.
Strategic plans address sustainable territorial development, environmental management of the Ternoise River watershed, renewable energy projects resembling community initiatives in Somme and Oise, and rural revitalization programs inspired by EU cohesion policies. Collaborative schemes include territorial marketing, agro-tourism promotion reflecting practices in Normandy and Brittany, and infrastructure upgrades coordinated with departmental authorities in Pas-de-Calais and regional agencies in Hauts-de-France. Partnerships extend to academic institutions in Université d'Artois and vocational centres in Arras for skills development, as well as cross-border cultural exchanges with initiatives promoted by the European Regional Development Fund.
Category:Intercommunalities of Pas-de-Calais