A plan to build smaller flats in the future Tres Xemeneies neighbourhood, aimed at increasing protected housing, has generated mixed reactions in Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona. While some support the idea, several organisations and political parties in the Barcelonès Nord region have expressed reservations about increasing the number of homes planned for the area next to the dismantled thermal power station, according to El Periódico.

Among the groups opposing the plan is the Plataforma per la Conservació de les Tres Xemeneies (Platform for the Conservation of the Tres Xemeneies). This group is involved in an ongoing legal challenge against the Urban Development Master Plan (PDU), which outlines the future neighbourhood with at least 1,783 flats and an audiovisual industry complex. The platform objects to increasing the density of social housing, despite an agreement with 28 objectives signed by the Besòs Consortium and the Coordinadora Veïnal del Baix Besòs (CVBB), a federation of neighbourhood associations.

Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) also views the potential densification around the former power plant with suspicion. This idea is promoted by Generalitat President Salvador Illa as a solution to the lack of affordable housing. The Comuns party is initially favourable but demands specific details on how the plan will be applied on the border between Sant Adrià and Badalona to meet the demand for protected housing. Badalona's socialists support the proposal, provided it does not lead to "overcrowding in the area," while Guanyem Badalona calls it "irresponsible."

Flood Risk and Amenities Concerns

The Plataforma per la Conservació de les Tres Xemeneies argues that "increasing density means increasing risk" due to potential flooding in the new neighbourhood, which is near the Besòs river mouth and the beach. The platform states that "increasing the number of homes, even if the buildable area remains the same and they are smaller, does not guarantee that the number of inhabitants in the future neighbourhood will not increase." They also predict that expanding the housing stock "will not be accompanied by the necessary increase in green areas or facilities" and deny that it responds to individual demands, claiming instead it serves "investment funds and international investors for speculation."

Guanyem Badalona shares similar concerns, viewing the proposal "with much worry." They see it as a "social-washing operation to make a project born with major shortcomings more profitable." The party, led by former mayor Dolors Sabater, argues that "making flats smaller and increasing density is a trap" because it is proposed based on the "need for social flats." They also highlight the lack of plans for schools or health centres in the future neighbourhood. Guanyem Badalona concludes that densifying in Tres Xemeneies would be "a speculative bodge that ignores expert recommendations and the historical demands of social movements."

Opportunity for Affordable Housing

Conversely, the CVBB maintains that the developments next to the old plant represent a "golden opportunity" to provide more affordable housing for various households, including single people, single-parent families, and couples with or without children. It also aims to offer more homes for the Vesta programme, which supports women with dependent children in situations of exclusion. The Federation of Neighbourhood Associations of Sant Adrià, part of the CVBB, also backs the proposal.

The Sant Joan Baptista Neighbourhood Association, where the old power station is located, believes densification could be a "positive means to change housing typology and offer a wider range of possibilities" to local residents, according to its president, Ginés Romero. "There is a housing problem that is not easy to fix and cannot be solved by political or environmental idealism," Romero said. He stressed that the Tres Xemeneies area should not become an "elitist neighbourhood." "We do not want it to be marginalised, like the maritime area of Badalona, where construction has been uncontrolled and green areas are minimal. Instead, it should integrate with the rest of the city so our children can also live there."

Political Divisions and Future Steps

In line with Sant Adrià's socialist government, the PSC of Badalona supports the idea from opposition. Fernando Carrera, president of the municipal group, argues that "the housing crisis is much more intense than a few years ago, and it is necessary to adapt the urban model to this new reality." He advocates for "incorporating a greater diversity of housing typologies to respond to the needs of new residents." However, he stresses that this commitment "must not detract from the quality of the homes or lead to overcrowding in the area."

ERC plans to question the measure. Rubèn Arenas, the republican spokesperson in Sant Adrià, stated that "redensifying is a bad omen; we already know what happens: it becomes ghettoised, there is more social conflict, and many people are put in the same place, which hinders coexistence." He added that "there should be no more redensification when we have not designed the facilities for the neighbourhood, and if it is done, the needs of that space would have to be re-evaluated if many more people come."

Àlex Montornès, ERC leader in Badalona, agrees that he dislikes the concept but suggests studying it "in detail." He noted that "families have changed a lot; it makes sense that not all flats have three bedrooms, and housing needs are not the same as years ago. We are willing to talk to adapt the offer to how families are, but not to densify for densification's sake to put people somewhere." Irene Aldabert, spokesperson for the Comuns in Sant Adrià, highlighted the "long waiting list" for protected housing, proposing to "match that demand with densification" in Tres Xemeneies. She cautioned that it "cannot be the only solution," pointing out that Sant Adrià has "more than 1,000 empty flats." Aldabert also emphasised that the cost of these new homes, how flood risk will be managed, and whether builders will take on more costs to improve the neighbourhood if they gain more profits from increased construction, all remain unresolved.