The Municipal Plenary has given provisional green light to the modification of the Metropolitan General Plan (PGM) to regulate the conditions for the implementation of tourist use housing, tourist apartments, youth hostels, and accommodations for educational groups. The objective is to prevent the excessive concentration of these establishments and preserve land designated for habitual housing. The agreement was supported by PSC, ERC-EUiA, and LHECP-C, while PP and VOX voted against it.
Existing tourist accommodations will be allowed to continue operating for a maximum of 5 years, with a possible five-year extension if the loss of the enabling title is justified. Changes have been introduced in the regulation of youth hostels and educational accommodations, and allegations from business associations have been dismissed. The city is divided into sectors based on residential density; in high-pressure areas, new youth hostels or educational accommodations will not be opened, and in other areas, minimum distances are being reviewed.
The Plenary also provisionally approved the Special Plan to regulate the uses of the future nursery school Casa de les Flors, located in plaça Granada, with an estimated investment of 1.9 million euros. This educational facility, intended for children aged 0 to 3, will be situated on a municipal plot of 5,500 square meters. The agreement was supported by all groups except LHECP-C, which abstained.
Furthermore, the new Fiscal Ordinance regulating the municipal surcharge on the tourist accommodation tax has been initially approved. This measure, which will allow for a supplement to the tourist tax, responds to the modification of Catalan legislation authorizing municipalities to do so. The resources obtained will be used to strengthen municipal funding and public policies, particularly those related to housing.
The surcharge will have differentiated amounts depending on the type of accommodation and will apply for a maximum of seven nights. From October 1, 2026, the amounts will range from 0.80 euros for youth hostels to 4 euros for five-star hotels. From April 1, 2027, some amounts will increase. Management and collection will be handled by the Agència Tributària de Catalunya.
Finally, the modification of the PGM for the urban planning of the educational facility Milagros Consarnau on Carrer de l'Aprestadora, which will allow for the expansion of the center, has been provisionally approved. The new socialist councilors Mercè Camba Martínez and Roberto González Hernández have also been appointed, replacing Cristina Santón and Olga Gómez.
