Massana Council Buys Orriols Cable Car and Parking for €6.6M

The Massana communal council has approved the purchase of the Orriols cable car and its adjacent parking area in Arinsal for 6.6 million euros, securing public control over key infrastructure for the ski station and local mobility.

The deal, finalized after negotiations with private owners from the Morell Mora family, includes a special credit and multi-year spending plan funded from treasury resources between 2026 and 2029. Payments will be spread over four years: 3 million euros in 2026, followed by 1.2 million euros annually for the next three years. This ends years of legal disputes stemming from a succession lawsuit and a contract clause allowing compulsory transfer. The council currently pays 31,151 euros monthly in rent.

Cònsol Major Eva Sansa welcomed the agreement, noting it adds vital land and facilities to public assets, preventing reliance on private leases with expiration risks. The cable car, operational since 1997, supports economic, commercial, and tourist activity in Arinsal, while the parking serves users, visitors, and residents. Future plans could include an underground car park with a public square.

In the same session, the council allocated 200,000 euros to Massana Activa for project structuring. It also approved objective criteria for subsidies to non-profit sports, cultural, and social groups, as explained by Councillor Bet Rossell. The fifth management plan for the Comapedrosa Valleys Communal Natural Park was passed, outlining protection rules, activities, and zoning for the next four years.

Finance Councillor Agustí Garcia reported a 1.4 million euro surplus in the first quarter of 2026 budget execution, despite 5.2 million euros in authorized investments.

On the Arinsal fire-ravaged former Aigües d’Arinsal factory site—destroyed in a non-arson blaze on 25 March covering 4,000 square metres—the council has submitted a 950,000 euro cleanup budget to the insurer, covering debris removal and fire response costs of 40,000-50,000 euros. Sansa urged swift action to improve the site's appearance before summer and awaits the tenant's decision. Aigua Pura, led by Belarusian businessman Anton Yarashuk, holds a 45-year lease until 2062 for 60,000 euros annually and seeks to defer 2027 payments while pursuing insurance for four million euros in building repairs and five to six million in machinery. The site, owned by Causes Pies foundation (with the council and Urgell bishopric as patrons), had seen over 15 million euros invested, though health ministry approval was pending. Sansa ruled out luxury housing rumours, saying any contract termination would prompt joint discussions for public use with approval from the bishopric.