The second deputy mayor of Montblanc, Oriol Pallissó, has expressed the council's concern over the lack of communication with Ponentia. According to Pallissó, they have received no response from the company since last autumn regarding the progress of the initiative, which envisioned an investment exceeding 100 million euros.
“"The last information we have is that 80% of the property owners agree to sell."
The project planned the construction of an industrial complex spanning 110 hectares and a high-capacity railway terminal. Although the last available data indicated an agreement to sell 80% of the land, the city councils of Montblanc and l'Espluga de Francolí are unaware if these transactions have materialized.
“"We can't reach anyone on the other end of the phone; at this moment, we are waiting to try and contact Ponentia to find out if the project is moving forward or if they have directly abandoned it."
Pallissó described the situation as 'strange,' as contact with the company ceased between last September and October. The councilor emphasized the importance of both councils being informed of the developer's intentions, recalling that they facilitated meetings with residents last April for the project's presentation.
According to Pallissó, the project had received positive evaluation and support from the Generalitat de Catalunya. However, municipal urban planning procedures have not progressed, awaiting news from the company. The Montblanc government team has set a deadline until after Easter to try and unblock the situation, warning that if there is no contact, they will announce the project's abandonment.
“"It's not a significant loss because it wasn't something we were counting on, and fortunately, Montblanc's industrial development is guaranteed."
The deputy mayor stated that the councils supported the project but did not lead it, and noted that the initial timelines presented by Ponentia, which spoke of two years for completion, were unrealistic, as environmental and urban planning studies were still required. Despite the potential loss of a railway intermodal that would have contributed to decarbonization, Pallissó concluded that Montblanc's industrial development would not be compromised.
