Tensions surrounding the long-delayed construction of the Sagrada Família’s monumental staircase have resurfaced as affected residents call for a direct role in negotiations.
The basilica’s building committee this week described talks over the so-called Glòria staircase as ‘sincere and pleasant’. Yet the Afectats pel Temple platform, representing neighbours facing displacement, insists that the City Council has prioritised agreements with the church over dialogue with residents.
‘This is a conflict that should be treated three ways, and we have not sat down with the City Council for a year,’ said spokesperson Salvador Barroso. The group warns it will take the matter to court unless formally included in talks.
The Association of Sagrada Família Neighbours also remains outside negotiations, though its president, Gabriel Mercadal, described discussions as ‘going well’, even if no binding agreement has been reached.
The staircase, originally envisioned by Antoni Gaudí, would connect the church’s main entrance with the street through a vast green zone of more than 70 metres. However, the project, formalised in the 1976 Metropolitan Plan, threatens around a thousand homes.
Mayor Jaume Collboni’s administration has pledged to guarantee residents’ housing rights, either through relocation or compensation, while confirming that the Sagrada Família will bear the financial burden of any transfers.
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