Encamp Approves €8.5M Pas de la Casa Sports Centre Overhaul Amid Church Square Protest

Encamp parish council has approved an €8.5 million contract with Edicom for the renovation and expansion of the Pas de la Casa sports centre. The project, running from June 2025 to spring 2028, will nearly triple gym space from 185 to 583 square metres, create a new wellness area in the small pool with jacuzzi and water features, waterproof the main pool, upgrade changing rooms and the covered padel court, and add a 200-square-metre multi-purpose room. Councillor Nino Marot called it an ambitious response to the facility's age—parts over 40 years old—and rising demand, with 524 subscribers, nearly 700 elite athletes, and over 7,000 daily hotel guest entries.

Work will proceed in phases to minimise disruption. The first, on the seventh floor from this summer to summer 2027, includes a new gym in the former bar area, a directed activities room (with the library relocating on-site), central reception, and better multi-purpose hall access. The current gym stays open until the upgrade is ready. Phase two, from summer 2027, targets the sixth floor and pool, closing the main pool to subscribers for about a year—initially three months, possibly extending—while prioritising elite sports events like 2028 Olympic preparations. Users can access Encamp or Canillo facilities. The total exceeds the original €7 million estimate due to expanded scope, Marot noted, but rival bids reached €9-10 million. Opposition group Avancem backed the award, citing construction inflation.

Non-resident subscriptions now require choosing between Pas de la Casa or Encamp complexes. The council also approved €19,302 in direct aid and €3,400 in fee waivers for Pas businesses hit by the RN-20 landslide, with applications open until 1 September.

Separately, residents in Pas de la Casa have launched a signature drive demanding suspension of the €1.4 million Church Square remodelling, approved July 2025 and due to start early May 2026. They criticise lack of transparency, no public consultation, and potential obstruction of the church's visibility—a key identity landmark—while raising technical concerns like soil decontamination, drainage, accessibility under new laws, and economic impacts coinciding with avenue works. "We are not against improvements, but changing the church's visibility without dialogue is unacceptable," representatives said. They seek a public session with full plans and revisions to preserve heritage.

Encamp council defends the project as citizen-driven, shared with economic and youth councils, church officials, and others. It aims for a larger accessible square with play areas, events space, enlarged heated bus shelter, and church repairs including insulation, facade refresh, and thermal upgrades—without altering its exterior prominence. Documents are online; a leaflet will go to residents soon. Works run May to November 2026, resuming post-winter to finish before Puríssima bridge, weather permitting. No halt is planned.

Opposition Avancem questioned defects at Ossa Park, including muddy areas, unhealthy lagoon algae, and parking leaks. Cònsol Major Laura Mas said repairs—contractor's responsibility, with €460,000 withheld—finish in 15 days, plus council-funded paths (€10,600) and ultrasound device (€16,000) for the lagoon, effective in 2-3 months. Avancem accepted the timeline. The €8.3 million park, opened June 2024 after delays, won architecture awards despite exterior issues.