Santa Coloma de Gramenet has set out its neighbourhood improvement work after receiving €25 million from the first call of the Pla de Barris programme. The city says the money has gone into upgrades in its southern districts, with the aim of improving daily life for residents.
Mayor Mireia González met residents on 8 June with Interior Minister Núria Parlon and the Government Delegate for Barcelona, Pilar Díaz. The meeting used a food truck as a mobile information point, where officials answered questions about the progress of the projects.
González said the council has handed plots of land to the AMB, the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, and is now adapting the climate conditions of all schools. Parlon, who is a former mayor of Santa Coloma, also referred to a second residence for older people, saying the project now has a confirmed location.
The council said the work has focused on the southern neighbourhoods of Raval, Santa Rosa, Safaretjos, Can Mariner and Fondo. The programme has included housing, accessibility, energy efficiency, public spaces, facilities and social projects, with the goal of improving conditions for more than 43,000 residents, about a quarter of the city’s population.
Looking ahead, the city says it expects total investment to reach €115 million by 2030. That figure includes the Programa d'Actuació Integral, or PAI, which will receive €15 million, including €6 million from the Feder fund. The plans also cover rehabilitation of sports facilities and a new Can Zam pavilion, budgeted at €14 million.
The council has already started six projects to improve neighbourhoods, with a budget of almost €11 million, according to Metrópoli. González also said Santa Coloma will not apply immediately for the new Pla de Barris call, but may do so later, possibly with neighbouring cities for areas on the border. For more Catalonia-wide local reporting, see our news coverage.