On 23 November 2017, Òscar Serrano, then a Pratdip councillor representing Unidos por Planes del Rei, informed residents about the progress of two projects directly concerning Planas del Rey.
The first involved a 200,000-litre water reservoir intended for firefighting. The second concerned the renovation of Planas’ former shopping centre, a building that would later become the Casal.
These projects were taking place during a particular period for the development: only a few weeks earlier, the EUCC had announced the end of its management and maintenance activities from 1 November 2017.
A 200,000-litre reservoir for firefighting
According to the information provided at the time by Òscar Serrano, work was under way on a water reservoir with a capacity of 200,000 litres.
The aim was to provide a water reserve that could be used by the emergency services in the event of a fire.
Òscar Serrano explained that the project had been launched while he was president of the Consorci de la Serra de Llaberia.
He also stated that a grant from the Generalitat de Catalunya was expected to cover 95% of an announced cost of €26,500.
The information concerning the origin of the project and its funding is based on what Òscar Serrano reported at the time. The article published in 2017 did not include the official grant decision that would allow these details to be verified directly.
In simple terms: by the end of 2017, Planas was gaining a new facility intended to improve the resources available in the event of a fire.
The former shopping centre begins its transformation
The second project concerned a building well known to residents: the former shopping centre of Planas del Rey.
By November 2017, renovation work had begun. At the time, the works were expected to take around seven months.
The project presented then included, among other uses, a tourist information office, a shop selling local products, a meeting room and a municipal office.
The final layout would eventually differ from this initial proposal.
The former shopping centre is now the Casal
The renovated building is now known as the Casal de Planas del Rey.
It currently includes:
- an information office;
- two multipurpose rooms.
The Casal is used, among other things, for meetings and various activities organised in Planas del Rey.
The building stands on finca 1169, land owned by Pratdip Town Council.
This location is also relevant to the history of Planas, as finca 1169 appears in several documents relating to the development’s communal land and facilities.
Two concrete projects during a period of transition
These two projects were taking place at a time when the organisation of Planas del Rey was undergoing major changes.
The dissolution of the EUCC had been ordered by the High Court of Justice of Catalonia in July 2016 and, on 31 October 2017, the entity had announced that it no longer had the financial resources required to continue its maintenance activities.
Against this background, the construction of a firefighting facility and the renovation of a building for community use represented two concrete projects being carried out in Planas at the end of 2017.
However, these projects should not be taken to mean that they resolved the much broader issues concerning the utility networks, roads, sewerage system or the future organisation of the development.
What should be remembered
In November 2017, two important projects were therefore under way in Planas del Rey:
- a 200,000-litre reservoir intended to strengthen the resources available in the event of a fire;
- the renovation of the former shopping centre, which would later become the Casal.
In simple terms: while Planas was going through a period of uncertainty following the dissolution of the EUCC and the end of its maintenance activities, several community facilities were also beginning to evolve.
The Casal remains today one of the visible results of that period of investment and renovation.
Jim – La Tribune de Planas
