Lleida approves urban plan to guide city's growth for 20 years

Lleida's city council, the Paeria, has initially approved its Municipal Urban Planning Plan (POUM), which will guide the city's growth and development for the next 20 years. The plan aims to increase affordable housing, provide more local amenities and green areas, and boost economic activity in Lleida.

The proposal received 18 votes in favour, seven abstentions, and one vote against. Following this initial approval, a 45-day public information period will begin, including presentations and debates across different sectors and areas. After this, the council will address any objections before a provisional approval vote, with final approval resting with the Catalan government.

Mayor Fèlix Larrosa thanked the urban planning team and Deputy Mayor Begoña Iglesias, as well as the political groups for their support. "Today we will gather enough votes to open the door to the future, the door of hope, of urban ambition, of capital status, the door to affordable housing, to advanced areas with quality of life," Larrosa said.

Key Changes and Neighbourhood Impact

Larrosa highlighted several improvements the plan will bring to all neighbourhoods. For example, Secà de Sant Pere will gain one of the city's largest parks, connecting it with Balàfia. The plan also drives the transformation of Mariola and the Historic Centre.

Deputy Mayor Iglesias explained that the POUM is the result of broad consensus, including public participation through workshops and sectoral meetings. She said it addresses urgent city needs, such as boosting economic activity and balanced growth, while preserving natural spaces. The plan anticipates the creation of up to 34,000 new housing units, many of which will be affordable.

Iglesias also stressed the need for more industrial land, noting that Lleida currently cannot accommodate companies requiring more than 15,000 square metres, forcing some to locate elsewhere. Major projects enabled by the POUM include advancing the station plan, reordering Gardeny, converting industrial areas in neighbourhoods like Pardinyes, Cappont, and Mangraners into new green and residential spaces, and expanding the Campos Elíseos.

Other changes include resolving the crematorium's location next to the cemetery, reordering the prison, improving transport links in La Bordeta, consolidating the Bosquet de Palauet, and creating a new access between Llívia and Secà.

Political Reactions and Concerns

Xavi Palau, leader of the opposition from the Popular Party (PP), supported the plan's initial approval. He argued that Lleida faces a choice between remaining with the 1995 POUM or moving forward with the 2026 plan. Palau noted that the PP had actively participated in the process, holding 19 bilateral meetings with the government over 15 months, alongside two public sessions. He emphasised that the POUM is a technical document, not a political model, and that despite ideological differences with the PSC, the city's project, which includes "improvements for each and every neighbourhood and for l'Horta," must prevail.

Jordina Freixanet, spokesperson for Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), stated her group's "very critical abstention," a position held since the plan's early stages. She argued that the POUM "does not stem from a real city debate but from an old document," referring to a project initially approved in 2018 and later updated. Freixanet believes there is a lack of public participation and that the POUM's focus on economic and demographic growth does not align with ERC's priorities, which include reducing urban segregation, ensuring quality amenities, preparing the city for climate change, and improving mobility. "It's not about growing more, but about living better," she added.

Freixanet also pointed out unresolved issues related to flood risk and described the commercial model as "incoherent." Violant Cervera from Junts per Lleida defended the need for initial approval, stating that "Lleida cannot progress with the vision and planning of the last century" because the city has changed. She explained that Junts worked to incorporate their vision, advocating for more affordable and social housing, industrial land, parking, community amenities, and special attention to l'Horta's rural reality. Cervera highlighted the station plan as key to connecting the city and ending the historical division caused by the railway between Pardinyes and the Rambla Ferran area, noting that the POUM modification makes this development viable.

Gloria Rico of VOX acknowledged the municipal technicians' work but announced her party's abstention. She argued the plan does not align with VOX's city model, which prioritises cleanliness, security, and civility. Rico criticised the proposed park-and-ride facilities and the plan's prioritisation of green zones over social housing. Laura Bergés, spokesperson for Comú de Lleida, criticised the POUM's central focus on growth, seeing shortcomings in sustainability, territorial balance, and social cohesion. "We want to cast a clear vote to say that this is not our city model," she concluded.

In addition to the POUM, the session also approved a collaboration agreement between the Paeria, the Lleida Chamber of Commerce, and the Catalan government, through the Agency for Business Competitiveness, the Catalan Land Institute, and Cimalsa, for the governance of the Torreblanca-Quatre Pilans urban sector.