Canillo Approves Scaled-Back Housing Plan for Incles Valley Entrance

The Canillo council approved a revised partial urban development plan on Wednesday for a plot at the entrance to the Incles valley, scaling back from an initial proposal of five blocks for around 40 apartments to eight plots allowing a maximum of 16 semi-detached single-family homes or eight individual chalets.

Submitted before the 2023 updates to the Parish Urban Planning Ordinance (POUP), the project could have proceeded under looser rules permitting denser multi-family buildings. Following negotiations, developers reduced buildability significantly, switching to single-family units to better fit the council's focus on quality and landscape integration. The site sits before the Deusol mountain refuge and reaches the riverbank. Developers also ceded 20% of the land—about 1,700 square metres, double the required 10%—for public facilities including a valley tourism office, toilets, services, and a waste area. A nearby path linking to the main valley parking was designated public space.

Cònsol Major Jordi Alcobé praised the changes, noting strong market demand for chalets and semi-detached homes, as seen in prior projects near Canaró. "We're satisfied, given the circumstances, because the change is very positive," he said. "Even though they could do more, they've chosen to do less," adding that it proves "the value comes from quality, not quantity." He confirmed eight other chalet or mountain cabin projects await review deeper in the valley.

Negotiations for the separate Armiana telecabina project, linking central Canillo to the Tibetan bridge access path with a minimised route of just two pylons, remain stalled. Originally opposed by three of seven affected landowners, route tweaks have excluded one, leaving two holdouts—particularly those near the road. Progress has been limited with lower-elevation owners, though agreements with higher ones near completion and could be finalised soon. Alcobé stressed pursuing full consensus via persuasion, urban planning concessions, or standard overflight deals like the Forn telecabina, which includes safety measures. "We don't want to enter a scenario of no agreement," he said Thursday, admitting the situation "could get complicated" without it.