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Final Approval for Ripoll Plan to Adapt Economic Activities in River Park

The municipal council grants final approval to an urban modification allowing new economic uses in the Ripoll river area.

Aerial view of a river with industrial areas and natural spaces.
IA

Aerial view of a river with industrial areas and natural spaces.

The municipal council has given final approval to the Ripoll Plan, an urban modification that will allow for the flexibilization of economic activities in part of the Ripoll River's Fluvial Park, following a lengthy approval process.

After more than a decade in the making and gaining significant momentum in recent years, the Ripoll Plan offers a solution for the numerous abandoned and dilapidated industrial buildings along the Ripoll river. This modification, strongly advocated by the Manufacturers' Guild (Gremi de Fabricants) and other economic entities, expands the permitted uses beyond textiles and integrated water cycle activities to include sports, catering, education, and other ventures.
The plan, initially approved in September 2024 and provisionally in May, has now received the green light from the Barcelona Territorial Commission. Its official entry into force awaits publication in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC).
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"It is a speculative operation sponsored by the Manufacturers' Guild, with the complicity of the municipal government."

a representative of the Platform for the Defense of the Ripoll River
Members of the Platform for the Defense of the Ripoll River voiced their opposition during the council meeting, labeling the plan a "speculative operation" and accusing the municipal government of "complicity" with the industrial sector. They called for the "renaturalization" of the river with new tree plantings to enhance biodiversity and public health, and vowed to continue fighting the modification "in the streets, with organizations, and in the courts."
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"The regulation protects the river more than the current one. It does not add a single square meter of industrial use but modifies existing uses."

Adrián Hernández · Head of Urban Planning for the municipal government (PSC)
Conversely, the Head of Urban Planning, Adrián Hernández (PSC), defended the plan, asserting that the new regulation "protects the river more than the current one" and that it modifies existing uses rather than increasing industrial space. He noted that the plan affects only 10% of the fluvial park's hectares and criticized parties who previously supported a "green industrial park" for now opposing it.
During the debate, council members from Junts, Vox, and PP supported the plan, arguing it would stimulate economic activity, create jobs, and improve existing buildings while balancing industry and nature. They emphasized that no polluting activities would be permitted and that industry can coexist with the natural environment. In opposition, representatives from ERC, Crida, and a non-attached council member reiterated criticisms, expressing concerns about potential "overcrowding" and negative impacts on an "ecological corridor," and called for the plan's suspension until flood zones are reassessed.

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