in Barcelona they will be dismantled and renaturalized. Thanks to this action, which the BOE reflected this Friday, 51,000 square meters will be achieved that will become part of the natural area of the Llobregat Delta. This operation has nothing to do with the environmental compensations resulting from the future expansion of the runway.
It is embedded in an arc of wetlands, beaches and natural spaces in the Llobregat delta. , of special ecological interest, has the European seal of environmental protection Red Natura 2000. Within the debates on the expansion, lengthening the sea track in the direction of Castelldefels and Viladecans was ruled out since it would run into the Remolar pond and the Philippine marsh. One of the most emblematic natural areas of the Llobregat delta. In the end, the future expansion aims to stretch the track towards El Prat, bumping into the Ricarda area. Precisely, it starts from the area opposed to the future expansion: Remolar and the Philippines.
The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge made public this Friday a resolution – approved on December 18 – by which the renaturalization project of the old bus parking lot and the old grill will not need to undergo an ordinary environmental impact assessment, as decided by the General Directorate of Quality and Environmental Assessment. According to the BOE, Aena’s project was subjected to an environmental evaluation process since it affected spaces included in the Natura 2,000 Network. In addition, the space to be renaturalized is also a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA) and in the protected marshes of the Llobregat Delta.
What needs to be dismantled and re-naturalized? Aena intends to demolish several structures that are currently disused and linked to Terminal 1 of the airport. It is planned to demolish the old bus parking lot that had an area of 12,000 square meters, also the old taxi grid of 24,000 square meters, a base for approach signals (a structure that served as support for the light signaling systems used by aircraft) of 4,785 square meters together with other roads that add up to more than 22,000 meters. In total, the project involves the renaturalization of 51,000 square meters.
All the actions planned by Aena will be carried out within the municipal area of Viladecans. Furthermore, the project not only includes renaturalization but also the construction of an unpaved parking lot – with 100 spaces with an area of 3,500 square meters – for visitors to the Remolar natural space and the Philippine marsh.
The BOE focuses on the environmental processing of both the demolition and the future construction of the 100-space parking lot. The bulletin highlights that consultations have been made with administrations such as the Catalan Water Agency, the town councils of Viladecans and El Prat or environmental entities such as the League for the Defense of Natural Heritage (DEPANA). Surveys were also carried out last January and February, which ruled out that the demolitions could affect either protected flora species or threatened fauna species. The reports did warn that during the execution phase of the works there could be disturbances to the fauna due to noise and the traffic of machinery although, it is also pointed out, that they will be remedied by carrying out a works schedule that avoids the reproductive period of the birds and controlled waste management prioritizing the immediate restoration of the affected surfaces.
The reports issued by different departments of the Generalitat conclude that the renaturalization works will not have an impact on the habitats or the current protected species and, on the contrary, will lead to an improvement in the conservation of the natural value of the Llobregat Delta. In its resolution, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition rules out the need to submit the project to an ordinary environmental impact assessment, as it does not foresee significant adverse effects on the environment. The BOE does not set a work schedule but they do highlight that the project will need one year to complete.
