Barcelona ERC will ask the city council to tighten access to Turó de la Rovira, the hilltop site better known as the Bunkers del Carmel. The party wants visitor numbers controlled and priority given to Barcelona residents, as complaints grow in Horta-Guinardó.
The proposal is due to be debated at the Barcelona City Council plenary session this Friday. Jordi Coronas, ERC spokesperson in the council, said the aim is to put filters in place and organise visitor flows to avoid the constant overcrowding the site faces now.
Elisenda Alamany, ERC's municipal leader, will defend the motion. The party says it wants to reduce tourist pressure and protect the space for neighbours, with systems such as Gaudir Més or city registration used to manage entry.
ERC points to other city sites where residents have had preferential access. At Park Güell, Barcelona now uses a green pass system, with residents registering online using their DNI for free tickets. The party says that approach was meant to stop tourists using resident-only time slots.
Coronas said the Bunkers del Carmel have become one of Barcelona's most tourist-pressured places. He cited overcrowding, noise, dirt, incivility and the effect on local rest and coexistence, and said earlier measures have not been enough.
The site has major historical value for Barcelona. It held an anti-aircraft battery that defended the city from fascist air raids during the Spanish Civil War, and later became home to the Cañones shanty town, which lasted from the 1940s until 1992. Today, its views draw large crowds from both the city and beyond.
Recent complaints intensified after an attempted assault by visitors on residents, and after a security guard was hit by a drunk driver. In response, the Horta-Guinardó district agreed in June to set up a follow-up group with neighbourhood representatives to discuss changes and reduce the disruption.
ERC also wants the site’s 19:30 closing time enforced more strictly, with action against people climbing fences and entering the bunkers after hours. The party is calling for more Guardia Urbana presence during the evening and night, plus tougher action on alcohol use, access to nearby residential areas and repeat rule-breakers.
The motion also asks the city council to contact tourist operators and social media platforms so Turó de la Rovira is not promoted as a party venue. For more Barcelona coverage, see our community and sport pages.
Originally published by El Periódico Barcelona. Read original article.
