Spain: Barcelona will not approve new licences for petrol stations
Barcelona, the second largest city in Spain, will not approve any new licences for the construction of petrol stations during a whole year.
Barcelona’s local Government, led by social activist Ada Colau, has set a one-year suspension on the concession of new licences to install service station in the city, except for five industrial areas. The measure aims at studying the sector and regulating it with a new urban plan that will “guarantee adequate activity in the surroundings and ensure neighbour wellbeing,” reports El País.
Licences to expand an operating site have also been put on hold for the year. In a message to the media, Colau’s team said the current regulatory system allows operators to easily setup petrol stations without taking into account urban surroundings, arguing that fuelling sites cause noise, odours and plenty of traffic.
The measure follows the Town hall’s efforts to restrict the use of private cars and reduce the levels of pollution in the city. There are around 100 petrol stations in Barcelona.
