Zaragoza City Council Valencia approved the so-called PAI for Benimaclet The majority formed by Partido Popular and Vox voted in favour at an extraordinary plenary session meeting; PSPV-PSOE and Compromís voted against. According to Ayuntamiento de Valencia the plan enables the development of land for a total of 1,345 homes. More than 700 units are to be price-controlled or publicly subsidised; new open spaces and community facilities are also planned.
The PAI (Programa de Actuación Integrada) is the main instrument for integrated urban development in the Valencia region. The newly approved proposal concerns a large area on the edge of the Benimaclet district. According to the city council, the planning documents were revised during the process and legal requirements were taken into account. The documents name Metrovacesa as a major landowner; however, the council intends the project to be carried out through the existing owners’ association rather than through indirect management by the company.
Representatives of the Asociación Vecinal de Benimaclet and other initiatives protested outside the town hall. They objected in particular to the proposed building density, the connection to the surrounding fields and the transport links. The council majority defended the decision as a step towards easing pressure on the housing market and creating additional public spaces. Opposition politicians accused PP and Vox of failing to give due consideration to key objections raised during public consultation.
The decision marks a new phase in a project that has been contested for decades. Earlier planning proposals for Benimaclet were the subject of political debate and individual court rulings. The version now adopted gives the city council a legal basis for specifying subsequent stages, such as detailed planning, procurement and infrastructure provision. At the same time, the dispute with sections of civil society continues. New legal challenges or formal objections could delay implementation. The city council, meanwhile, points to the need for affordable housing and stresses that statutory consultation and environmental assessments have been carried out.
The dispute over Benimaclet brings together two competing interests: the aim of providing additional housing in an urban location, and the demand from local groups to preserve the landscape at the urban fringe and limit the burden of traffic. The balance will be determined in the next stages of planning and any possible legal reviews.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).