La Massana Approves €6.6M Purchase of Arinsal Cable Car and Parking

The Comú of La Massana has approved the purchase of the Orriols cable car and its adjacent parking area in Arinsal for a total of 6.6 million euros. The deal secures public ownership of key infrastructure vital to the village's mobility, tourism, and ski station access.

The council session passed an extraordinary credit and multi-year spending plan to fund the acquisition from 2026 to 2029. Payments will be staggered: 3 million euros in 2026 from treasury funds, followed by 1.2 million euros annually for the next three years. The operation followed negotiations with the private owner after a court ruling clarified ownership, resolving long-standing legal disputes over the assets. It ends the current parking lease, previously costing around 31,000 euros per year.

Cònsol Major Eva Sansa described the move as strategic, noting interest from other buyers that risked losing these essential facilities. The package includes the cable car—from its base station to the summit, including towers and mechanical structure—and a 5,600-square-metre plot in central Arinsal serving skiers, visitors, and residents. Ownership ensures long-term control, avoiding reliance on private lessors.

Sansa highlighted future potential, such as a underground parking facility with a public square above, once finances allow. The process began in 2018 but stalled until recent judicial clarity.

In the same session, the council allocated 200,000 euros to Massana Activa for project structuring, approved objective criteria for subsidies to non-profit sports, cultural, and social groups, and endorsed the fifth management plan for the Comapedrosa Valleys Communal Natural Park, valid for four years. This plan sets protection rules, activity regulations, and zoning.

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 April fire that destroyed the former Aigües d’Arinsal bottling plant, Sansa said a 900,000-euro cleanup budget, plus 40,000-50,000 euros in emergency response costs, has been sent to the tenant's insurer. She urged swift debris removal to improve the site's appearance and dismissed rumours of luxury housing, stating any contract termination would prompt discussions with owners, including the Bishopric of Urgell and Causes Pies, for public space options. The tenant holds a long-term lease and plans to resume operations pending insurance decisions.