Canillo Council Buys 4,500m² Riverside Land for €2.6M

Canillo parish council has approved the purchase of a 4,500-square-metre plot called Prat del Portal de Branqueta for €2.6 million, securing the riverside land for public use.

The council leader, Jordi Alcobé, described the acquisition as a way to preserve valuable parish soil and enable orderly territorial planning, while protecting areas of strategic, environmental, or heritage importance. Located along the Valira d’Orient river opposite the Prat del Riu car park—on the far bank and next to the existing social gardens and elderly allotments—the site currently hosts tobacco crops on an old house property. The deal, reached after six months of talks with the owning family, was greenlit during Tuesday’s session and formalized on site with immediate payment from the reserve fund.

Alcobé called it a strategic move at a fair price, adding long-term assets to the parish. Initial plans focus on turning it into an open green space in this central location, allowing residents and visitors to enjoy the riverfront. He noted it could expand the nearby allotments if demand grows, or host other community services later.

This outright purchase differs from the instalment payments for the Pla campsite. Alcobé tied it to recent efforts like that acquisition and strategic leases such as the Palau de Gel ice rink, creating optimal public areas for locals and tourists to hold events or add facilities. “We are very satisfied,” he said.

The approval came alongside the council’s endorsement of a €30.2 million budget for next year—a 9.2% increase—with nearly €12.5 million earmarked for investments. The third quarter closed with a €4 million surplus and zero debt.