Golmés annuls Puleva's expansion: the TSJC says the POUM was made "to measure" and halts the project

The High Court of Justice of Catalonia has declared the nullity of the modification of the Municipal Urban Planning Plan of Golmés that allowed the expansion of Puleva's facilities. This resolution, issued by the second section of the Contentious-Administrative Chamber, upholds the appeal filed by landowners represented by Mas Abogados y Economistas. The sentence considers that the city council was making a "tailor-made suit" to legalize and expand the facilities of Industrias Lácteas de Mollerussa. The litigation takes place in an area between the municipal boundary with Mollerussa, the old N-II, and the train line.

"It was about custom urban planning in favor of Puleva"

This is not the first time that the highest Catalan court has annulled these types of modifications. In 2017, it already declared the provisional modification of the POUM null and void with similar arguments. The plaintiffs argued that the rule proposed to suppress part of the Avenida de los Pirineos and Calle Val d'Aran to unite all the land into a single plot. The TSJC states that the modification was made under an artificial justification regarding the modification of the Partial Territorial Plan of Poniente. From Mas Abogados y Economistas, they explain that the change infringes the principle of normative hierarchy and coherence between planning plans. The mayor of Golmés, Jordi Calvís, assured the newspaper SEGRE that the council will file an appeal for cassation against the ruling before the Supreme Court. This action will be carried out together with the regional administration and the company Puleva itself. The current ruling is not final and can be appealed.

"The council will file an appeal against the ruling with the Supreme Court"

The judicial ruling implies the immediate suspension of the urbanization and replanning project of the affected area. This measure also halts the development of Vial Norte, an infrastructure designed to divert heavy traffic out of the urban center of Mollerussa. The action included the construction of an elevated bridge over the Zaragoza–Barcelona railway line. This work is planned in the vicinity of the N-II road, at the height of the Golpark industrial estate. Without this overpass, the connection between the rapid transit route and the new road axis would be interrupted by the railway barrier. There are four administrative litigation appeals pending resolution that become null and void as the act from which they originate is null and void. Until the pending appeal is resolved, any action related to this subdivision is suspended.