The residents of Planes del Rei denounce total neglect by the Pratdip town hall
The urbanisation of Planes del Rei, located in the municipality of Pratdip (Baix Camp region, province of Tarragona), has been without street lighting for over two years, suffers from recurring water cuts, and no longer has a sewage treatment plant. The reason: the urbanisation has never been officially received by the town hall. The latter maintains that it cannot intervene until this reception is formalised.
In Catalonia, thousands of urbanisations remain in this situation. Created in the 60s and 70s, they were originally supposed to be taken over by town halls once completed. In the meantime, they were managed by Urban Development Collaborative Entities (EUCC), which were only meant to have a transitional role. But many of them persist, leaving residents without basic public services such as water, lighting, or waste collection.
JORDI OLÀRIA GRAS
An ordered dissolution of the EUCC, but still not executed
In September 2017, the Catalan justice system ordered the dissolution of the EUCC of Planes del Rei. The High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) ruled that the EUCC had exceeded its legal duration. However, the dissolution remains unenforced. The president of the EUCC is nowhere to be found, and the liquidation has never been carried out.
Oscar Serrano, municipal councillor of the Avança Pratdip party (created in 2015 by local residents), laments this situation: “We are very angry. It’s been more than two years that this ruling has been ignored.” The mayor, Joan Maria Rovira, responds that the liquidation is blocked due to outstanding accounts and owners who have not paid their dues.
AvP councillors accuse the town hall of colluding with the EUCC to avoid assuming responsibility. The mayor, on the other hand, claims to be working on a new urban redevelopment project to be carried out “through the cooperation system” — a document that, according to the opposition, has been stalled for years due to a lack of political will.
JORDI OLÀRIA GRAS
Two years without light: an urbanisation plunged into darkness
For over two years, not a single streetlight has worked in Planes del Rei. The EUCC ceased activities without being officially dissolved, so no public services are being provided. The streets are pitch dark, preventing residents from walking around or taking out the trash.
The mayor explains that the lighting contract was in the EUCC’s name, and they stopped paying the bills, resulting in power being cut. But for AvP, this situation is the result of a deliberate strategy of inaction.
JORDI OLÀRIA GRAS
A treatment plant out of service: pollution risk
The treatment plant funded by residents is now out of order. It used to treat wastewater from 420 houses. Today, waste flows directly into the Dovi ravine and the Llastres river, threatening the environment as far as Hospitalet de l’Infant.
Oscar Serrano says he alerted the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) more than two years ago, but received no reply. The ACA says the plant lacked official discharge authorisation and confirms non-compliance with discharge standards.
AvP warns of the risk of contaminating nearby wells. The ACA says it has no evidence or complaints to support this.
FREDERIC ZUCCHERETTI
Promised treatment plants… but always postponed
Pratdip and several villages in Baix Camp have been requesting sewage treatment plants for years. The ACA now plans three projects: for Pratdip, Planes del Rei and Santa Marina, by 2022.
In the meantime, wastewater is dumped into makeshift pits. The mayor acknowledges that the system is “precarious.”
JORDI OLÀRIA GRAS
Water supply: frequent cuts
Water tanks in Planes del Rei, operated by pumps, have been poorly maintained since the EUCC disappeared. The result: frequent water cuts, sometimes lasting several days.
The town hall proposed a quote of €50,000 to allow the water company to make the necessary repairs — at the residents’ expense. Yet, a 2010 ruling obliges the municipality to provide potable water.
Water costs in Planes del Rei are up to five times higher than in Pratdip.
JORDI OLÀRIA GRAS
An urbanisation that pays… but gets nothing in return
Between 55 and 60% of Pratdip’s municipal taxes come from Planes del Rei. But no investment is made in the area. Public subsidies, based on population, are requested on behalf of both Pratdip and Planes del Rei — but used only in the central village.
Dangerous infrastructure like the entrance bridges, declared flood zones 15 years ago, have never been secured.
A situation shared by many urbanisations
Avança Pratdip has reached out to dozens of other urbanisations in similar situations. The aim: to form a united front and put pressure on the Parliament of Catalonia to reform an outdated and non-binding law.
By Jordi Olària Gras
Photos: Jordi Olària Gras, Frederic Zuccheretti
Personal conclusion by Frédéric Zuccheretti
This article paints a great picture of our situation, but does not identify those responsible. The law allows the State and the town hall to collect taxes and subsidies without providing services. This inertia is deliberately maintained.
Fortunately, today I met the mayor of the town of Valencienne, who faced a similar situation. He assured me that we can compel the town hall to provide minimum services, provided we adapt the infrastructure to the standards in force at the time the urbanisation permit was issued (1964).
Frédéric Zuccheretti
