A full-fledged exchange of accusations, with opposing arguments, and in the midst of the drought crisis. The Platform in Defense of Ripoll, made up of Adenc and Ecologistes de Catalunya, yesterday summoned the media to denounce that the government of Sabadell (PSC-Junts per Sabadell) “processed, on October 11, the Special Urban Plan, PE-141 , of the private leisure-sports complex for surfing, SurfCity”, planned on land near the Ripoll River, near the covered athletics track.
The president of Adenc, Joan Carles Sallas, accused the City Council of acting with “environmental irresponsibility in the midst of a drought and climate emergency” for “processing a project that would involve a huge expenditure of water (more than 12,300 m3) just to satisfy the lucrative interest of an individual.” The environmentalists assure that the government of Marta Farrés “acts from opacity” and regrets that it has not yet resolved “the multiple allegations presented in September 2022.”
As soon as he learned of these claims, Deputy Mayor Eloi Cortés came out to deny them. “Before the Generalitat, we have presented a series of reports, such as a draft of the special plan (necessary to be able to know the scope and content of the proposal that is intended to be environmentally evaluated) and which, in no case, involves starting an urban planning process” , he assured. "As we already explained months ago," he added, "what we have done is request an environmental evaluation, despite not being mandatory, to have the criteria of the Generalitat." They have also presented three reports on water consumption, fauna and energy consumption to the territorial environmental office.
Cortés said that “we will respond to the allegations presented based on what the requested environmental impact study tells us.” The environmentalists have sent the allegations to Acció Climática so that it resolves “the rejection of the project and supports the recovery of wetlands” in the river.
Before the municipal elections, the plenary session on May 2 expressed its rejection (with the votes of ERC and La Crida, abstentions of Ciutadans and Junts and in favor of the PSC) to a large artificial wave pool, of private investment and that would work with recycled water, for surfing.
