The city of Granada is giving up Next Generation EU recovery funding for two heritage projects in the Albaicín: the restoration of the Church of San Luis dating from the 16th century, and the restoration of the historic Acequia de Aynadamar. The city council leadership says it is doing so because of the risk that the works will not be completed by the deadline. This was reported by regional media on 25 October and 9 November 2026.
Mayor Marifrán Carazo (Partido Popular) and the city council reportedly point to procedural and scheduling constraints that made it uncertain whether the funded measures could be completed on time. The amounts affected, the specific alternatives to replace them, and whether funds will be reallocated or returned initially remained unclear.
The decision concerns two projects applied for by the previous city council in 2021 under a Next Generation EU funding programme. According to the opposition, San Luis and the Acequia de Aynadamar have since been the subject of political debate on several occasions. The withdrawal comes at a time when the city is also approving more holiday lets in the historic centre. This is intensifying the dispute over the future use of the Albaicín, where residents’ groups are warning of a loss of public services, communal spaces and permanent housing.
The Albaicín has been part of the UNESCOWorld Heritage Site “Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada” since 1994. In the view of heritage conservationists and neighbourhood associations, publicly funded restoration work serves not only to preserve the area but also to stabilise housing in the district. The social democratic PSOE is calling for transparency about the city’s next steps: the information requested concerns possible replacement projects, how already approved funds will be handled, and the impact on the city’s plan for sustainable tourism and urban development.
The city council, by contrast, stresses the need to commit funds only where deadlines can be met with certainty. Whether, and to what extent, the city will nevertheless invest in San Luis or the Acequia de Aynadamar in future remains unclear. What is clear is that the simultaneous approval of additional holiday lets is heightening the political conflict: while the city authorities point to legal frameworks and economic stimulus, residents and opposition parties warn of further excessive tourism and the gradual loss of everyday life in the Albaicín.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).