Sant Julià de Lòria Approves POUP Changes for Suspended Plot Builds
Parish council enables construction on previously suspended plots via new urban projects that secure public land donations. The move balances private development with community gains amid department reforms.
Key Points
- Council introduces 'volumetric ordering projects' requiring 15% land cessions for public uses like parks and health centres.
- Owners of plots near schools and plazas to negotiate via individual meetings for permit lifts.
- Opposition abstains citing lack of info and plan instability; calls for full public consultation.
- Urban dept stabilizes with new hires amid probe into ex-head's alleged irregularities.
Sant Julià de Lòria's communal council has approved changes to the Parish Urban Planning and Organisation Plan (POUP), enabling construction on plots still under building permit suspensions through negotiations with owners and new custom urban planning tools.
The modifications, approved this morning by the ruling majority with opposition abstentions, introduce "volumetric ordering projects." These allow the council to create specific urban planning sheets for affected areas, where owners must cede 15% of the land for public uses including sports facilities, health centres, plazas, and parks. Cònsol Major Cerni Cairat said the approach reconciles private development interests with parish needs by securing public land without delaying the full POUP review.
The council now plans individual meetings with owners of the targeted plots—mainly undeveloped sites near strategic public facilities such as the Escola Andorrana de primera ensenyança, Plaça de la Germandat, and the Escola Francesa—to agree on the sheets and potential cessations exceeding 15% in exchange for administrative benefits. Cairat noted the suspension remains in place but can lift once agreements are reached and new sheets defined.
Opposition councillor Josep Majoral explained the abstention stemmed from two issues: lack of information shared in urban planning commissions, despite awareness of past staffing problems in the department, and a second POUP change within two months, which he said breeds uncertainty and confusion among residents. Majoral called for completing the full plan with public consultation to establish clear, final rules rather than repeated patches.
The parish urban planning department is stabilising after years of delays due to shortages, with a new head and two technicians recently hired. Its previous head remains under criminal investigation for alleged irregularities, including permits on non-buildable land and unpaid use of the Rabassa landfill, plus council disciplinary action.
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