The Urban Planning Commission approved this Tuesday afternoon the first version of the new Ciutat Vella Uses Plan with the votes in favor of the PSC and Junts per Catalunya, the abstention of the PP, the rejection of En Comú Podem and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, and the vote reservation of Vox.
The text moves forward with sufficient support, but without broad consensus on its scope. While the municipal government defends that the norm reinforces control over activities with negative impact, the opposition that voted against it maintains that the plan leaves room for businesses oriented towards tourism and does not resolve some focal points of commercial and coexistence conflict.
The agreement with Junts reinforces inspections and facilitates closures
Albert Batlle, councilor for Ciutat Vella, stated that the document "combines firmness with regulatory intelligence" and guarantees "recovering the balance between neighborhood life and the dynamism and projection of the district."
The agreement between the municipal government and Junts per Catalunya incorporates a reinforcement of inspection and sanctioning capacity. Damià Calvet defended that this change will facilitate the closure of establishments that do not comply with the norm.
The new regulation limits the proliferation of businesses that the City Council considers to have a negative impact, including mobile phone case shops, cannabis product stores, and nail and pedicure salons. Furthermore, the plan restricts the opening of new nightclubs in the district.
The document also prohibits the establishment of gambling halls, bingo halls, casinos, music bars with private rooms for sexual services, and erotic show venues. Added to this list is the veto on new cannabis clubs and the sale of souvenirs in non-specialized shops in Ciutat Vella.
The opposition disagrees between abstention and outright rejection
Sonia Devesa, councilor for the PP, justified her group's abstention because, in her opinion, the plan "continues to leave some aspects insufficiently regulated," such as 24-hour supermarkets and the sale of alcohol.
From Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, Eva Baró described the text as "continuist and insufficient" and stated that it maintains loopholes that continue to facilitate activities without added value oriented towards the tourism sector.
Jordi Rabassa, from En Comú Podem, went further and defined it as a "bad usage plan". In his speech, he added that the proposal "deepens the district's dependence on tourist activity" and "opens the door to businesses that will eat up local businesses".
Liberto Senderos, from Vox, assured on his part that the regulation responds to urban planning "designed to generate headlines, not for residents". The councilor added that his group demands order and security in Ciutat Vella, as well as measures against mafias and in defense of traditional commerce.
The norm restricts commercial activities and favors cultural facilities
Faced with limitations on part of the commercial and leisure offer, the plan facilitates the opening of cultural establishments. This section includes museums, bookstores, and cinemas, which the municipal government places among the uses it wants to favor in Ciutat Vella.
The first version of the plan was approved with the votes of PSC and Junts per Catalunya, the abstention of the PP, the vote against En Comú Podem and ERC, and the reservation of vote from Vox.