For years, relations between the residents of the Les Planes del Rei urbanisation and the Pratdip Town Hall have been tense. Today, the conflict seems at a standstill. Around a hundred residents are demanding the implementation of minimum services: drinking water, road maintenance, street lighting, cleanliness… Fundamental rights they feel are being denied.
Angry residents, a defensive town hall
The residents denounce a feeling of abandonment. Drinking water is sometimes cut off, the streets are poorly maintained, and the electrical installations are outdated. They believe the municipal council is failing in its duties and refuse to remain silent. A protest was organised on the main street of the urbanisation to give visibility to their cause.
Oscar Serrano, municipal councillor from the electoral group “Uni per Planes del Rei”, is calling for a real political commitment from the Town Hall. He accuses the municipal team of ignoring the residents’ basic needs.
The Town Hall’s response: “We cannot intervene”
For its part, the Pratdip Town Hall justifies its inaction on legal grounds: as long as the urbanisation has not been officially received, it remains considered private. According to the mayor, this prevents the municipality from legally intervening, especially regarding the water and electricity networks.
A water agreement in limbo
An agreement is currently being studied between the Baix Camp regional council and the Pratdip Town Hall to allow the water management company to provide service to Planes. The objective: to guarantee a basic service without any price increase at least for the year 2018. The project also foresees the drafting of a master plan to identify the necessary investments (repairs, replacements, improvements). But so far, no political consensus has allowed the agreement to be signed, which is causing concern—even within the municipality itself.
A cultural centre awaiting budget approval
At the same time, the urbanisation is waiting for the completion of a project launched in 2016: a tourism and cultural promotion centre. The works have started, but their completion depends on the approval of the 2018 municipal budget. With a cost exceeding €190,000, the project is partially funded by a grant from the Vandellòs nuclear power plant. If carried out, it could host an exhibition hall and tourist information point, along with a permanent staff member. But if the budget is not approved, the project may be postponed.
Municipal investments claimed
The Town Hall claims to have invested more than €230,000 in the urbanisation in 2017, out of a total municipal budget of €1.3 million. These expenses would include maintenance of the municipal swimming pool (around €19,000), creation of a bus line (€22,000), and emergency repairs.
Reception still delayed
The process of officially receiving the urbanisation is progressing slowly. The land reparcelling was only just finalised and published in the Official Bulletin. Residents now have two months to file an administrative appeal.
The next steps include registering the properties in the Falset land registry and then carrying out the necessary work to improve basic services. However, Oscar Serrano challenges the valuation criteria used, which he considers outdated: the applied scales date back more than ten years and no longer reflect the actual property values.
A previous study estimated that the necessary work would exceed €6 million. This document now needs to be revised and the work divided into phases.
EUCC dissolved, responsibilities unresolved
The conflict has also reached the courts. The High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) recently confirmed the dissolution of the EUCC (Urbanistic Collaboration Entity for Conservation). Now in liquidation, the entity claims it no longer has the budget to carry out any improvements.
Faced with this deadlock, the mayor is considering creating a neighbourhood association tasked with collecting fees from property owners. A proposal that is far from unanimously accepted.
A history spanning over sixty years
The Les Planes del Rei urbanisation has existed for more than sixty years. But the Pratdip Town Hall has never fully assumed responsibility for it. Today, the deadlock continues, and residents are asking: how much longer will they have to wait to access the basic rights guaranteed by law?
Ariadna Escoda Padilla / Laura Roig
