Administrative Court No. 2 in Santander (Juzgado de lo Contencioso-Administrativo Número 2) has provisionally allowed traffic under the arch of the building Faro Santander again. In an order issued on 3 September 2026, the judge granted a request for interim measures filed by Izquierda Unida against the decision by the Ayuntamiento de Santander to close the passage after pedestrianising it. The order applies until the main proceedings have been decided.
According to consistent accounts from the party and local media, the order requires the city to allow traffic through the arch on calle Martillo for specified vehicle groups. These include, in particular, public transport buses, taxis, residents’ vehicles, and emergency and service vehicles. At the same time, the substantive legality of the original closure remains explicitly unresolved; this is for the main proceedings to decide. On 24 August 2026, the court had already admitted Izquierda Unida’s claim for consideration.
At the heart of the dispute is the traffic regulation of the area following the redevelopment of the Faro Santander on Paseo de Pereda. The cultural project is run by the Fundación Banco Santander. After the work was completed, the Ayuntamiento de Santander designated the passage under the arch as a pedestrian area. Izquierda Unida considers this unlawful because there was no formal administrative act and the approved project did not provide for a complete closure.
With its interim order, the court is primarily protecting continued access to the old town for public transport and residents, without prejudging the merits of the claim. The city administration must now explain within the court’s deadlines the legal basis for changing the use of the traffic area and whether permanently converting a route in this location required additional authorisations. Depending on the outcome, changes to the current traffic arrangements may be possible, including a renewed closure or a modified reopening.
The order concerns only the specific passage under the arch and has no direct bearing on other measures around the project in Santander. It is also limited to the period before a judgment in the main proceedings. Nevertheless, it provides short-term legal certainty for the groups affected, while the legal clarification in Cantabria continues.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).