The Girona City Council debates the future commercial regulation of the city as political tension grows over the model of shops linked to cycle tourism, especially in the Barri Vell and areas of the historic center.
Division in the municipal government over licenses
Guanyem is calling for the new regulations to include a suspension of new licenses for opening more cycle tourism shops. This group also proposes setting a minimum distance between these establishments. Sílvia Aliu, spokesperson for Guanyem and a member of the municipal government, insists on the need to limit this type of business.
"We must work so that they cannot open more businesses of this model" - Sílvia Aliu, spokesperson for Guanyem
Aliu maintains that the city must guarantee the continuity of local, family-run, and diversified commerce, which he considers part of the local identity.
Junts rejects moratorium and defends cycling sector
Junts, the main governing partner, rejects the proposal to suspend new licenses for cycle tourism shops. Gemma Geis, deputy mayor and deputy mayor for Economic Promotion, argues that the moratorium seeks to preserve local commerce but distinguishes between the impact of bicycle shops and that of other commercial models.
"The moratorium aims to preserve local commerce, and bicycle shops cannot be put on the same level as supermarkets open all day" - Gemma Geis, Deputy Mayor of Girona
Geis adds that the use of bicycles is linked to health and more sustainable mobility in the city. He also warns that without bicycle shops, there would be more empty storefronts in GironaJunts regrets that the discussion about licenses is delaying the approval of the new commercial regulation
Economic Impact and Neighborhood Debate in Barri Vell
The cycling sector in Girona generates between 120 and 150 million euros annually, according to municipal data. Between 50,000 and 60,000 cyclists visit the city each year, with an average daily spend of 162 euros. The sector creates more than 1,500 direct jobs in Girona.
The Barri Vell Neighborhood Association supports the moratorium and links the proliferation of cycling groups with disturbances for pedestrians in the city center and with the increase in rental prices in the area.
Cycling trade, a strategic sector according to Girona Centre Eix Comercial
From the Girona Centre Eix Comercial Association, the role of cycling-related businesses is defended as an economic driver and a tool to combat seasonality.
"Girona cannot give up one of its key assets, it projects the city to the world and generates stable and qualified employment" - Girona Centre Eix Comercial
The entity expresses its disagreement with what it considers an incomplete and detrimental account for the local economy and the city model built in recent years. It maintains that the future of the Barri Vell should not be framed as a confrontation between residents and economic activity.
- The debate on commercial regulation remains open in the Girona City Council.
- The positions between Guanyem and Junts highlight the difficulty in reaching an immediate consensus.