The Catalan Government and five local councils have committed to significantly increase protected housing at the Tres Xemeneies site in Sant Adrià del Besòs. This initiative aims to add over 100 extra affordable homes without altering current urban planning.
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The agreement, reached on Wednesday, forms part of a new 28-point document for the transformation of the Besòs area. This document formally requests an “increase in the density of officially protected housing” for the new neighbourhood around the Tres Xemeneies project. Sílvia Paneque, the Minister for Territory, confirmed that this densification will not require changes to existing urban planning. Instead, officials plan to divide the currently projected homes into smaller flats.
Boosting Affordable Homes
The new neighbourhood at Tres Xemeneies initially planned for 1,783 new homes. Forty percent of these were designated as protected housing. The new agreement seeks to add more than a hundred additional protected flats within this existing framework. Furthermore, 2% of these protected homes will support the Vesta project. This initiative provides assistance to single mothers with dependent children experiencing homelessness.
The approved document also highlights the need to revitalise older homes and continue efforts to eradicate shantytowns in the area. It advocates for a study of undeveloped community plots. This assessment could lead to modifications of the Metropolitan General Plan, allowing these lands to be used for additional public housing.
Addressing Broader Regional Challenges
This renewed commitment follows three and a half years of challenges in transforming the Besòs area. The region has long been perceived as Barcelona’s “backyard.” A meeting, organised by the Consorci del Besòs, brought together the Catalan Government, the Ajuntaments of Barcelona, Badalona, Sant Adrià del Besòs, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, and Montcada i Reixac, alongside local residents. All parties established the foundation for this new document.
Some measures in the new agreement were also present in a 28-point document signed in 2022. Residents previously criticised authorities for delaying action on those earlier commitments. Other key actions include urging the Spanish State to decontaminate beaches in Sant Adrià and Badalona. The plan also calls for the closure of the Lafarge cement factory in Montcada i Reixac. Additionally, it seeks to preserve the Marina mountain range through a new natural heritage defence plan.
Community Vigilance and Future Steps
New proposals in the document include extending the future Sagrera linear park to Can Zam. It also establishes a management table for asbestos in the Baix Besòs area. The Consorci del Besòs General Council will ratify the document at its meeting in May.
Pepe Sánchez, president of the Baix Besòs Neighbourhood Coordinator, welcomed the new commitment. However, he cautioned that local entities would monitor the implementation of these agreements. Sánchez stated, “We agree with all the paperwork, but now we need to push it forward with budgets to make the project possible.” The community expects concrete financial backing to ensure these plans translate into tangible improvements for the Besòs region.
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Originally published by Ara Cat. Read original article.
