Angry Residents Slam 26.5% Waste Fee Hike in Alt Urgell

Residents in the southern part of the Alt Urgell comarca have reacted angrily to a 26.5% rise in waste collection fees for households, pushing annual costs from €215 to €316. Restaurants face an even steeper 38% increase. The move by Migraum, the local waste management consortium, has reignited tensions, following a 57% hike in 2023 that prompted locals to file complaints with the Anti-Fraud Office and the Ombudsman over suspected irregularities.

Migraum president Joan Puig Bellido, who is also mayor of Peramola, described the adjustment as "very tight" and unavoidable. He noted that municipalities could no longer absorb shortfalls, citing a €50,000 burden for a small town like Peramola. European Union directives now require all parties to cover waste costs fully, he added. To close a €300,000 gap, Migraum has expanded billing to 3,218 registered users from 3,096 projected for 2025, including municipal buildings, social centres, civic facilities, cemeteries, and scattered rural settlements. Even isolated farmhouses near Taús will pay a partial fee, given higher collection costs in dispersed areas. These steps should generate an extra €18,000 in Peramola alone.

Puig partly blamed a €22,000 increase in landfill fees from the Urgellèt Consortium, which chose not to raise its own user rates for political reasons. Low recycling rates of 37% further drive up expenses, he said. The consortium conducted extensive studies before setting the fees and timed the rise after service upgrades, including new containers, trucks, and a shift from a long-serving manager to a technical role.

Locals criticised the €20,000+ payout to outgoing manager Jordi Pasqués, who held the post from 1997 until December 2025 and oversaw a costly legal dispute with La Seu d'Urgell that resulted in a 17-year fine. Puig called the negotiated severance a pragmatic exit from a "much-debated" position, avoiding drawn-out court battles. The new technical post will go to tender, though administrative delays are expected.

Neither the Anti-Fraud Office nor the Ombudsman has responded to 2023 complaints, as investigations continue. Local councils, which form Migraum, have stayed silent on the increases, according to residents' statements.