Barcelona City Council will resume work on its new Companion Animal Centre in Montcada i Reixac after the Supreme Court dismissed a final appeal against the project’s planning approval. The ruling confirms an earlier decision by the High Court of Justice of Catalonia and clears the way for the scheme to move forward.
The new centre is intended to replace the current CAACB site on the Arrabassada road in Barcelona, a facility built in 1972 as a dog pound. The council says the existing building can only provide a limited response to the needs of lost and abandoned dogs, cats and ferrets in the city.
First Deputy Mayor Laia Bonet said the council was pleased to be able to restart the project after both courts ruled in its favour. She also said the rulings confirmed that the project had been prepared correctly and in line with the law.
The planned timeline includes about one year to update, audit and re-approve the project in plenary, then retender the works and related contracts. Construction is expected to take two years, followed by another six months for the centre to begin operating.
The new CAACB will be built in Montcada i Reixac, under an urban agreement signed by the two councils on 5 November 2014. It is planned for the Torre Doña Juana estate, next to the Collserola cemetery, inside Collserola Natural Park. The site will cover about 25,750 square metres, with around 6,000 square metres of built space.
The centre is designed to house up to 350 dogs and about 150 cats. Barcelona City Council says it will also support adoption work, research into animal welfare, collaboration with universities, and educational activity in schools on responsible pet ownership. For more local coverage, see our news page.
