Encamp Parish Council Approves Maximum Capacity Study for Sustainable Growth to 2035

Encamp's parish council approved its maximum carrying capacity study on Thursday, confirming sufficient resources to accommodate projected population growth over the next decade without infrastructure bottlenecks or service strains.

The council became the first parish to grant definitive approval after receiving the government's binding report on June 3, which validated the findings. Mandated for all parishes in 2023, the study assesses drinking water supply, energy infrastructure, mobility, wastewater treatment, waste management, land use, and public facilities. It projects no capacity limits through 2035, including updated data for 2024 and 2025, though it recommends advancing renewable energy adoption and waste management improvements.

Cònsol Major Laura Mas hailed the study as a forward-looking tool beyond a current snapshot. She credited the results to years of planning, sustained investments, infrastructure maintenance, and technical oversight, including a new urban model introduced in 2019. "All the recommendations and investments made over the years reinforce this confidence in sustainable urban growth," Mas said. The positive indicators mean no changes are needed to Encamp's Partial Urban Planning Ordinance (POUP). The council will now forward the study to the General Council and the Urban Planning and Sustainable Growth Commission to inform potential Land Law reforms.

The government's report includes mandatory recommendations, such as strengthening data monitoring systems and periodically reviewing projections amid climate change impacts. Mas confirmed these will guide future work.

Opposition councillor Marta Pujol supported approval for the objective data it provides on planning and investments but highlighted limitations. She noted the study's authors acknowledged unquantifiable factors like future climate effects and natural risks. "We favour applying the recommendations and believe they should go even further," Pujol said. She argued for a national-level analysis rather than parish-by-parish assessments to gain a fuller picture of Andorra's capacities.