Platform demands accountability over Vallter 365 project
On Friday 16 October 2026, the citizen platform Defensem Ulldeter presented its formal opposition to the Vallter 365 project before the Territory and Housing Commission of the Catalan Parliament. The initiative, promoted by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), aims to extend and modernise the Vallter ski station in Setcases (Ripollès), but has drawn strong criticism over its sustainability and governance. Eva Martínez-Picó, president of Defensem Ulldeter, and lawyer Gerard Serrat addressed parliamentary groups, urging political oversight of the regional government’s decisions. They questioned the project’s justification on territorial interest grounds and called for a comprehensive, independent assessment of its environmental, water-use, and overcrowding implications.
Financial losses and lack of local benefit
The platform highlighted that Vallter S.A., the publicly funded operator, has recorded annual losses exceeding one million euros every year from 2018 to 2024, amounting to 9.4 million euros in total. Despite claims of social return, the entity stressed that no clear evidence has been provided on stable job creation, salary levels, or economic benefits for local municipalities and businesses. "Opening for more months does not equate to economic diversification," Martínez-Picó stated, advocating instead for investments that strengthen public services and retain talent in rural areas.
Legal action and formal demands
Defensem Ulldeter has filed a legal challenge against Setcases Town Council over its 15 May 2026 plenary agreement approving the project’s territorial interest declaration. The group argues the decision was based on incomplete information and misused urban planning regulations.
The platform submitted four key demands to the Commission: full public disclosure of the project’s budget and timeline; an integrated, independent environmental and socio-economic evaluation; comparison with lower-impact alternatives; and genuine public participation with decision-making power. Among proposed alternatives are prudent renovation, removal of obsolete infrastructure, and improvements to collective mobility. As of 5 October 2026, the platform reported 5,816 individual supporters and 103 endorsing organisations.
Political responses in Parliament
During the session, ERC, the Comuns, and CUP expressed support for the platform’s concerns. Junts moderated its stance, while the PSC defended the project but acknowledged the need to assess alternatives, a position criticised by Defensem Ulldeter, which noted that conservation-focused proposals had already been presented. The platform also warned of FGC’s upcoming submission of an urban development plan for Les Closes del Pont Nou, near Setcases, where the new gondola exit is planned. This includes parking facilities and protected housing, a move the group claims violates rules on territorial interest developments, which restrict housing to exceptional cases.
The declaration of territorial interest has paved the way for FGC’s project, allowing it to reach a decisive stage without proper scrutiny.
Further details on Vallter S.A.’s financial statements are available via FGC’s transparency portal: Annual Accounts of Vallter S.A.
Reported by gerio.cat, ACN, defensemulldeter.cat, Parlament de Catalunya, transparencia.fgc.cat, KONICA MINOLTA bizhub PRESS C1070, Gerió Digital.
