Environmental and sustainable mobility groups ADENC (Associació per la Defensa i l’Estudi de la Natura a Catalunya) and BiciTerrassa Club (BiTer) have submitted objections to the planned rehabilitation of the Portal de Sant Roc car park in Terrassa, Vallès Occidental. The Terrassa municipal council initially approved the project on 27 February 2026. Residents previously rejected the plan in March, citing concerns about potential car 'massification' in the city centre.
The groups aim to 'nullify the project', stating that detected 'deficiencies' could lead to its 'full legal annulment'. According to ADENC and BiTer, reopening and expanding this car park, located within the city's Low Emission Zone (ZBE), goes against the climate and sustainable mobility commitments the council has made in recent years.
Project Details and Environmental Concerns
The project involves reactivating a three-level underground car park beneath Portal de Sant Roc square, which is currently closed. It also includes connecting this facility to the Plaça Vella car park and creating a new access point from Vinyals street. ADENC and BiTer believe this action encourages private vehicle entry into the urban centre, conflicting with the ZBE's goals of reducing air pollution and traffic.
The environmental groups also criticise the project for not including an environmental impact study or a detailed assessment of its potential effects on air quality, noise, traffic, public health, or urban space use. They cite the principle of environmental non-regression, enshrined in the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, which prevents measures that reverse existing environmental protections.
Furthermore, the objections highlight the project's incompatibility with various municipal and European plans, including the European Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (PAESC), and the Urban Sustainable Mobility Plan (PMUS). These initiatives promote emission reductions and more sustainable transport methods, such as walking, cycling, and public transport. ADENC and BiTer find it 'incoherent' that the council would promote infrastructure to ease private vehicle access while simultaneously enforcing ZBE restrictions.
Economic Viability Questions
The groups also question the project's economic viability. Studies commissioned by the council itself suggest the car park would only be profitable under a 'very high' demand scenario, which the report describes as 'excessively optimistic' and 'difficult to justify'. They also point out that only one company expressed interest during the preliminary market consultation, conditioning its participation on municipal financial support.
For ADENC and BiTer, this shows the project's financial fragility and the risk of it becoming a burden on public funds. The plan anticipates funding exceeding €10.9 million through a loan managed by EGARVIA S.A., a wholly municipal company. The groups warn that this operation could compromise the public company's treasury and, consequently, the council's resources.
ADENC and BiTer argue that Terrassa already has several car parks in the city centre and that the need for a new facility of this type within the Low Emission Zone has not been adequately justified. Both organisations are asking the council to cancel the project, citing 'environmental, legal, technical, and economic deficiencies'. They also call for a public debate on the future of Portal de Sant Roc and advocate for alternatives focused on traffic reduction, sustainable mobility, and urban space improvement.
