Sant Julià de Lòria Plans 200-Space Car Park Amid Infrastructure Push

Sant Julià de Lòria parish council plans to build a 200-space central car park on privately owned land near the village centre, with a tender for construction works expected by late 2026.

Negotiations with the landowner are nearing completion on key terms including lease duration and cost, according to major Cerni Cairat. He expressed confidence in the talks, stating the council believes it is on the right path. While finalizing the agreement, the council will prepare an executive project throughout next year. The 2026 budget, approved on 30 December, omits any allocation for the initiative, as discussions remain ongoing. Cairat addressed criticism from minority councillor Josep Majoral by noting that funding—potentially via a credit supplement—will follow once terms are set. The facility aims to address parking shortages during events when sites like Camp Gran, Prat Nou, Camp de Perot, Valireta and Plaça de la Germandat fill up, particularly as many spaces are reserved for subscribers. The project forms part of wider urban improvements including the near-complete Plaça Calonge-Sant Antoni refurbishment, pedestrian priority on Avinguda Verge de Canòlich, and potential changes to Avinguda Francesc Cairat pending Rocafort tunnel progress. It should open around 2027, boosting local commerce.

In parallel, the council has allocated one million euros for water network upgrades, including drinking water, wastewater separation, the treatment plant and related services. Road widening on Carrer de la Rabassa—from the final bend to Fontanelles canal—will integrate new pipes via open trenches. These will fully connect the village's main reservoir with those in Aixirivall and Auvinyà by 2027, enabling mutual support during breakdowns or droughts, as recommended by maximum load capacity studies. Cairat emphasized that linking the reservoirs would allow them to assist each other in future issues.

A separate 600,000-euro outlay will enhance safety on the same road stretch, which sees heavy visitor traffic.

This year, the council will tender construction and operation of a new waste collection facility in Riberola, beside the CG-1 in the southern parish. Double the capacity of earlier plans, it will include dedicated storage and yield annual savings of 110,000 to 120,000 euros on Aixovall industrial rentals. The previous communal site closed after the 10 August 2019 Portalada landslide, leading to temporary rentals and initial consideration—later rejected—of Prat de la Tresa north towards Andorra la Vella. It too is slated for 2027.