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 Planes del Rei.
The first involved the construction of a 200,000-litre water reservoir intended for firefighting. The second concerned the renovation of the former shopping centre in Planes del Rei, 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, construction was progressing on a new facility intended to strengthen 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 Planes del Rei.
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 Planes del Rei.
It currently includes:
- an information office;
- two multipurpose rooms.
The Casal is used, among other things, for meetings and various activities organised in Planes del Rei.
The building stands on finca 1169, land owned by Pratdip Town Council.
This location is also relevant to the history of Planes del Rei, as finca 1169 appears in several documents relating to the development’s communal land and facilities.
Two projects during a period of transition
These two projects were taking place at a time when the organisation of Planes del Rei 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 the firefighting reservoir and the renovation of the former shopping centre were two concrete projects then under way in Planes del Rei.
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.
The transformation of the former shopping centre would subsequently result in the present-day Casal de Planes del Rei, one of the visible results of that period of investment and renovation.
La Tribune de Planas
