Ordino Council Unifies 20ha Protected Site for 36,000m² Development

Ordino's communal council has approved a modification to the parish's Pla d’Ordenació i Urbanisme Parroquial (POUP), unifying the 20-hectare L'Any de la Part protected site—one of the parish's largest—into a single unit of action with a maximum buildable area of 36,000 square metres. The decision, passed Wednesday with abstention from opposition councillor Enric Dolsa of Units per Ordino, reverts to the original configuration from the plan's first public exhibition after a prior division into two units.

Dolsa raised doubts about the change's legality six years after the POUP's definitive approval in November 2025, calling it a major alteration for such a large parcel of 15-20 hectares. He requested the supporting legal report, warned that unification could risk expanding total buildability, and said he would raise the issue again after review and Comissió Tècnica d’Urbanisme (CTU) approval. "I have many doubts this can proceed," he said, while supporting minor material, grammatical, and graphic changes but questioning underlying motives.

Cònsol Major Maria del Mar Coma rejected the concerns, clarifying that the adjustment is a standard modification—not a full revision—and has undergone full legal review. She described the earlier split as a misunderstanding during the allegations phase, when the single owner sought to divide the protected land and reclassify the river-adjacent portion as residential. The council approved the division but denied reclassification; the owner then chose to return to the unified protected setup. Coma stressed benefits like concentrating development near existing roads and lower elevations to minimise visual impact, avoid new infrastructure in higher or protected zones, and preserve the environment. Buildability stays at 450 square metres per 2,500 square metres of land, with grouping allowed—the owner may build less or nothing.

The council also unanimously approved a 24,000-euro budget increase to secure full control of Prat de la Vilella parking via a five-year renewable contract, finalising talks for the remaining third at risk next to the sports centre. Coma noted negotiations nearly failed: "We thought we wouldn't pull it off." The site serves village-centre access, holds expansion potential amid rising demand, and contributes to the parish's 137,000-euro annual parking rental costs. Work on Plana dels Camps parking, adding nearly 100 spaces, starts March 2 and finishes by year-end.

Other unanimous approvals included incorporating hunting activities into Vall de Sorteny park zones per its management plan; designating Serrera water intake as special use due to its concrete structure in protected land; and auctioning traditional cortons rentals, such as Coma de Varilles and l’Hortell.

Separately, Coma welcomed the CTU's dismissal of a landowners' appeal against the POUP, viewing it as validation of the plan's legality and public interest. Around 50 property owners, led by Associació de Propietaris de Terres d’Andorra president Josep Duró, plan individual challenges at Batllia, citing threats to property rights, security of tenure, and smallholders' ability to build on plots under 2,500 square metres. Duró expressed dismay, predicting further appeals possibly to the Tribunal Superior de Justícia or Europe, and criticised lack of dialogue. The council maintains the POUP upholds constitutional principles.