The construction company Oses, promoted by the City of Pamplona, has started the construction of the underground parking of Sangüesa Street in Pamplona. The Ensanche neighbours become indignant again and again. The anti-project platform announced this Friday at 20:00 hours a concentration of paralysis in the Plaza de la Cruz.

Iñaki Aguirre, a member of the anti-parking network, denounces that they have not even consulted the neighbors. He adds that the City Hall has “falsified the information”, claiming that it had drawn a list and that there were “many” neighbors who asked for parking. The list was being used for a 2008 project. “Many of them have died or no longer want parking, they have left the list,” explains Aguirre.

46 trees less

For the construction of the parking lot, 46 trees will be removed, of which 33 will be cut and 13 revegetated. The platform denounces that this will be a “great harm” to the environment. Ignacio Bidegain, an expert in environmental damage reports, has produced a damage analysis report. He concludes that the discharges of cars will “rise”, one of the most polluted areas of Pamplona, and as the shadows of the trees help to lower the temperature, if they are removed, the temperature will “rise”.

They claim that in addition to harming the environment, it will also harm local traders, as the works will last 22 months. Requests that work done on other streets be reviewed: “Jobs have been found to prevent traders from staying alive. Surely many will have to close.”

The project has a budget of EUR 13.7 million and the sale will be EUR 30,000 per square. According to Aguirre, for many neighbors it will be “impossible” to buy a site: “It will be one of the most expensive car parks in the area.” In their view, this makes it clear that they do not take neighbours into account: “If the neighbors do not want, they will also be able to buy people outside the Ensanche. This means that any outsider who has money will have private parking every time he comes to Pamplona.”

The former mayor of Pamplona, Enrique Maya, launched the project on 13 June and the mayor of Pamplona, Cristina Ibarrola, has begun the works without responding to the resources of the neighbors and the platform: “We have sent resources, but they have not even answered us.”