More budget for this year's Neighborhood Plan: which municipalities come out winners?

BarcelonaSalvador Illa's government takes another step in its commitment to the Neighborhood Plan, one of the socialist government's star measures. The Catalan executive will finally subsidize projects to promote improvements in public space, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability in 34 municipalities, out of the 117 that submitted proposals. Given the high demand, the Generalitat has chosen to increase the initiative's budget allocation, which it will finance jointly with the selected city councils.

In total, the administrations will mobilize 582 million euros, of which 355 –60%– will be provided by the Government. They will go to thirteen municipalities in the Barcelona area; five in Central Catalonia; four in Ponent; four in the Penedès; three in the Girona Counties; two in the Camp de Tarragona; two in the Terres de l'Ebre, and one in the Alt Pirineu and Aran.

The Generalitat had initially planned a pool of 200 million euros, which at the end of last year it expanded to 300 million and, recently, has added 55 million euros more. “These are areas that have been left out of the major transformations and that require this updating and tune-up,” explained the Minister of Territory, Sílvia Paneque, when the Government announced the first budget expansion. When they arrived at the Palau, Salvador Illa's team recovered the old 2004 Neighborhood Law with the aim of acting in the most vulnerable neighborhoods in the country.

Candidacies worth €1,600 M

The projects presented in the second call reached a budget of more than 1.6 billion euros. Sources from the Ministry of Territory underline that it will not imply a greater financial effort on the part of the city councils. The first call benefited twenty municipalities and the Government allocated 232 million euros to it.

Of the benefited city councils, eleven have between 5,000 and 20,000 inhabitants; seven between 20,000 and 50,000 inhabitants; six more than 50,000 inhabitants, and five fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona have presented a joint project.

The list of municipalities

In Barcelona, the projects for Barcelona city, Martorell, Terrassa, el Prat de Llobregat, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, la Llagosta, Canovelles, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sabadell, Caldes de Montbui and Cornellà will go ahead, in addition to the joint proposal from Sant Adrià and Badalona.

In Central Catalonia, the Neighbourhood Plan will facilitate actions in Berga, Cardona, Manlleu, Centelles and Torelló. In Ponent, Arbeca, Agramunt, Cervera and Balaguer will promote their projects, while in the Penedès, Vilafranca, Òdena, Vilanova i la Geltrú and el Vendrell will do so.

In Girona, the Government has distinguished the proposals from Banyoles, Lloret de Mar and Palafrugell. In the Camp de Tarragona, those of Valls and L’Espluga de Francolí and, in the Terres de l’Ebre, those of la Ràpita and Batea. Finally, it has highlighted the project of Tremp in the Alt Pirineu i Aran area.