Collboni is now open to modifying the City Council's plans for Vallcarca

BarcelonaEight and a half months ago, Jaume Collboni's government revived the Vallcarca urban development plan, which had been approved by Joan Clos's City Council in 2002. The goal, explained First Deputy Mayor Laia Bonet at the time, was to move the neighborhood out of its provisional state and unblock the project for a green promenade in the area. Pressure from some residents and negotiations with Barcelona en Comú regarding the budget and tax ordinances have now led the municipal government to change its plans. In a statement released this Tuesday, the government confirmed it will create a working group to study modifications to the urban development plan. Specifically, the municipal government indicates in its statement that the new modification to the plan "should allow for a significant increase" in the planned housing capacity, which was previously set at 522 units, 40% (204) of which were public housing. How this ceiling will be raised is one of the things that will have to be debated at this working group, which, according to the agreement between the PSC and the Comuns, will guarantee the participation of the neighborhood's community and residents' associations. Among the group's first tasks will be to define the specific scope of intervention of the new planning amendment.

As explained the NOWThe possibility of modifying the Vallcarca urban plan was already one of the points of the agreement reached between the PSC and Barcelona en Comú to ensure that the tax ordinances and budgets did not fail in their first vote. At that time, they also agreed to open mediation with the affected residents, who, under the leadership of Barcelona's ombudsman, David Bondia, wanted to find alternative housing for vulnerable residents. Speaking to reporters, the leader of Barcelona en Comú in the City Council, Janet Sanz, celebrated the agreement because it will allow for the modification of a plan that, she said, is currently "useless" because it does not address the needs of the residents. "We need an approach that incorporates urban innovation to curb speculation," she emphasized. From the residents' association Som Barri, Aran Llivina also expressed her "joy" at being able to open this dialogue with the City Council and assured that they will ensure the process is carried out "in the most democratic way possible."

Budget Negotiation

The confirmation of this agreement between the PSC and Barcelona en Comú comes after Janet Sanz and the fourth deputy mayor, Jordi Valls, also announced a final agreement last week to approve the tax ordinances, and amidst ongoing negotiations on the city's budget. This Monday, in fact, Barcelona en Comú laid out its conditions in exchange for its final support of the budget, which included a plan to address homelessness, increased investment in housing through the right of first refusal, and the promotion of new green spaces in the city. The possibility of reaching an agreement was to be tested this Tuesday, as Barcelona en Comú brought votes on the three issues to the Social Rights and Urban Planning committees. For the moment, the PSC has abstained from voting on the plan to address homelessness and has urged Janet Sanz's group to finalize agreements on this matter during the budget negotiations. The same thing happened this afternoon with the request to extend the green spaces to Passeig Maragall, Creu Coberta, and the remaining section of Consell de Cent. Talks between the two groups to try to get Collboni to approve a budget through the regular channels for the first time are still ongoing.