On 19 March 2021, a meeting about the future of Planas del Rey was held at Pratdip Town Hall. The municipality presented its intention to continue the registration of the reparcelación project, adapt it to the needs of the residential development and involve property owners’ representatives in the process.
This account of the meeting is based on a summary prepared by Avança Pratdip. It therefore presents the information and discussions as reported by this political group. It is not the official record of a municipal meeting.
Participants in the meeting
According to the document published by Avança Pratdip, the following people attended the meeting:
- Ana Paixà, the Town Council’s lawyer;
- the municipal secretary;
- the mayor of Pratdip;
- José María Rovira, Jordi Pagan, Amadeu Pune and Toni Marco, councillors representing Junts per Catalunya;
- Glòria Moreno and José Pescador, councillors representing Avança Pratdip;
- Evelynne Planet, president of Avança Pratdip;
- Christian Peuman, former president of the EUCC;
- Marie-Jo, who accompanied Christian Peuman;
- Meritxell and Leonardo Meriz, representatives of Unidos por Planas 2013.
Continuation of the reparcelación project
According to the summary, Ana Paixà explained that the Town Council wanted to complete the final registration of the reparcelación project and then begin the necessary work in Planas del Rey.
However, the project was to be amended so that it would better reflect the needs of the residential development and bring its cost into line with the actual situation.
The document does not provide details about the exact nature of the proposed changes, the estimated cost of the work or the timetable for its completion.
A cooperative body involving the property owners
While awaiting the implementation of the project, the Town Council proposed that the property owners create a cooperative body.
This body would make it possible to appoint representatives who would meet regularly with the municipality. They would participate in amending the project and monitoring the future work.
According to the summary, Ana Paixà stated that the Town Council would continue its work with or without the participation of the property owners. The proposed body was therefore intended to give them a role in the process, but its creation was not a condition for the municipal project to proceed.
Contributions towards maintaining the residential development
The Town Council was also considering requiring all property owners to pay urban development contributions towards the maintenance of Planas until the work had been fully completed.
The amount would be calculated according to the participation coefficient assigned to each property in the reparcelación project. Ana Paixà reportedly asked the former EUCC to assist the municipality in determining the actual cost of the maintenance previously carried out.
At that time, however, several matters remained undetermined:
- the total amount required to maintain the residential development;
- the amount to be paid by each property owner;
- the date on which these contributions would be introduced;
- the length of time for which they would have to be paid.
José Pescador expressed concern that this situation could continue indefinitely if the project and the work were not completed within a clearly defined period.
Disagreement over the timetable
When asked how long the final registration of the reparcelación would take, Ana Paixà reportedly replied that this had not yet been determined, although she believed the procedure could be completed relatively quickly.
The summary mentions a disagreement on this point with José Pescador, who was more cautious about the likely duration of the procedure and its prospects of success.
In the absence of an official record, the statements attributed to the various participants should be regarded as Avança Pratdip’s account of the discussions.
Leonardo Meriz’s position
Leonardo Meriz announced his intention to challenge any urban development charges that the reparcelación project might impose on his property.
He also proposed amending the project before proceeding with its registration. Ana Paixà reportedly opposed this proposal, arguing that it would delay the matter by approximately two more years.
The summary also reports a very firm response from the Town Council’s lawyer concerning the legal proceedings brought by some property owners. Once again, these are remarks reported by Avança Pratdip and not an official statement published by the municipality.
Public lighting and green spaces
The representatives of Avança Pratdip and Unidos por Planas 2013 agreed to ask the Town Council to take immediate responsibility for public lighting and the maintenance of green spaces.
They believed that the municipality should provide these services without waiting for the approval of the new project or the start of the work.
A further meeting announced
At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that another meeting would be held within fifteen days.
Before then, the representatives of Avança Pratdip wanted to meet with their group to define their position ahead of further discussions with the Town Council and the other property owners’ representatives.
This summary shows that, by March 2021, the municipality was already considering restarting the urban planning process for Planas del Rey. However, the details of the project, its financing, the timetable for the work and the role of the cooperative body still remained largely undefined.
What does “reparcelación” mean?
Reparcelación is a procedure under Spanish planning law designed to reorganise the plots within a particular area and distribute among the property owners the rights and obligations arising from its development.
Among other matters, it can determine the land allocated to public facilities, the new configuration of the plots and the distribution of costs associated with the urban development work.
In English, expressions such as “urban land readjustment” or “land pooling” convey a similar meaning, although neither is an exact equivalent of the Spanish legal concept.
Jim – La Tribune de Planas
Avança Pratdip’s summary
The document reproduced below is the Spanish-language summary circulated by Avança Pratdip after the meeting. It provides direct access to the source on which this article is based.
