The expansion proposal for the Las Atalayas business area, registered by the Alicante City Council in 2022 through a modification of the General Urban Planning Plan (PGOU), has received approval from the Environmental Evaluation Commission. This agreement follows over a year and a half of administrative deadlock, paving the way for its processing.
The Ministry of Environment had requested additional reports to incorporate safeguards against flood risk, as warned by both the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ) and the regional Planning Department. The original proposal affected a ravine area near the Barranco de las Ovejas, leading to a request for the planning of a containment wall.
The April agreement is considered to have addressed these concerns, although final adjustments are still required, according to consulted sources. Once implemented, it will proceed to provisional approval, pending final evaluation by the regional department for definitive approval of planning modification number 43.
This step suggests that the expansion could receive all administrative approvals before the end of the current legislative term, and prior to the implementation of the new General Structural Plan (PGE), which outlines the development of several urban sectors for businesses.
The specific modification number 43 of the current PGOU will allow the business area to gain an additional 650,000 gross square meters (over 300,000 net, after deducting road areas). This includes a new access to the A-31 and A-7 highways, and a new roundabout designed to improve traffic distribution.
The initial step for developing this new land will involve signing an agreement between the State Land Society (Sepes), the main landowner, and the Alicante City Council to finalize the funding formula and timelines for the works. Private sector participation is also anticipated.
The 650,000 new square meters for Las Atalayas are already factored into the future PGE, which anticipates Alicante having up to 434 hectares (4,340,000 square meters) of industrial and logistics land distributed across sectors such as Bacarot, Vallonga-Fontcalent, Campaneta, and Serreta.
The PGE also includes regeneration actions for existing industrial areas and the transformation of key routes like Carretera de Ocaña and Avenida de Elche. Interventions are planned in the Barrio del Cementerio for a transition towards a flexible productive fabric compatible with existing residential uses, and in the Garachico industrial area to evolve towards a more service-oriented economic model.
These projections are complemented by the definition of three strategic spaces: an area around the University of Alicante (UA) campus and its Science Park (PCA) dedicated to knowledge and training; the A-79 corridor connecting Alicante and Elche inland, focused on innovation and logistics; and the coastal connection between the Port and Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, specializing in innovation, creative economy, and advanced technology industries.
