News
Sant Cugat gives the green light to temporary kitchen for La Mirada after years of waiting
La Mirada will finally have its own kitchen after nine years in temporary units. The City Council is renting a space for the school canteen. Families and teachers pushed for change through protests. Find out how the solution came about and what the next steps are. The controversy continues in Sant Cugat.
The public school La Mirada de Sant Cugat del Vallès, after almost a decade in temporary modular buildings, will finally have its own kitchen, albeit on a temporary basis. The City Council has approved the rental of a municipal premises to install the kitchen and dining service, a long-standing demand of the school's families and teachers.
The Consell Rector del Organisme Autònom Municipal d’Educació (OAME) has given the go-ahead for the lease of a space on Benet Cortada street, in the Volpelleres neighbourhood. The contract, which will begin on 1 January 2026 and last four years, will entail an annual cost of 18,528 euros. Refurbishment work, with a budget of 37,000 euros, will begin on 8 January and will make it possible to adapt the premises' 121 square metres.
The council's aim is to provide La Mirada with kitchen infrastructure while its temporary status continues and the project for the permanent building moves forward. The Education councillor, Carme Ardid, stresses that the measure seeks to equalise dining-room conditions with those at the other public schools in Sant Cugat.
The mayor, Josep Maria Vallès, explains that finding a viable solution had been prioritised from the start of his term, after years of delays and legal proceedings over the new building. Vallès says that several alternatives were studied before a suitable option was found, despite planning difficulties and proximity to other schools.
The decision comes after weeks of pressure from the educational community. Last Thursday, pupils, families and teachers organised a protest outside City Hall, calling for the construction of a school kitchen and recalling that La Mirada is the only public school in the city without its own service.
The rented premises will be used exclusively to prepare meals, allowing menus to be made on site, as in the other public schools. In addition, the contract provides for the transfer of the space to the AFA, strengthening its role in managing the dining room.
The City Council argues that, although providing school kitchens is not a municipal responsibility, the measure responds to a criterion of fairness and support for the educational community while the permanent building is not constructed. At the same time, the council continues to negotiate with the Generalitat's Departament d’Educació to finalise the agreement that will allow the new school to be built.