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Congrés sports centre sparks a neighbourhood battle over noise and traffic
The project to build a new sports centre in the Congrés neighbourhood has opened an intense debate in Sant Andreu. Eight residential blocks near the Concepció Arenal and Can Ros site have lodged objections with the City Council over the possible rise in noise, traffic and loss of peace in an area home to around seventy families.
The initiative arose from a citizens' proposal promoted by the Asociación Deportiva Fútbol Sala Arrels and supported by the AVV Congrés-Indians. In the 2024-2027 Participatory Budgets, it received 2,203 votes, becoming the second most supported proposal in Sant Andreu and one of the most voted for in all of Barcelona.
The project received 880,000 euros to draw up the preliminary project. The municipal timetable places the final drafting in 2028 and proposes that the facility could open during the following term of office, although the City Council is still examining the objections submitted and the possible alternatives.
Residents grouped in the Comunidad de Propietarios de Concepción Arenal are asking for the process to be halted until detailed studies on mobility, noise and environmental impact are available. They also demand direct information about each phase of the case file before the project moves forward.
The complex would occupy around 5,300 square metres and would include a semi-underground sports court, fitness and martial arts rooms, a multipurpose room, two padel courts, four pétanque courts and a car park. Residents fear that the constant arrival of users, especially young people, will change the current character of the area.
The opposition also points to the possible impact on vegetation and the colony of common swifts present in the area. Added to this is the suspicion that there may be archaeological remains beneath the current courts related to an old farmhouse or even a possible Roman villa, which is why they are demanding prior studies.
As alternatives, residents propose studying an old textile factory on Puerto Príncipe street, a disused petrol station on Felip II or a reorganisation of the district's pétanque clubs. The City Council will have to assess whether any of these options can meet sports demand without concentrating all activity in Can Ros.
The project also jeopardises the continuity of the Meridiana tennis and padel club, located on the site since 2004. If the works go ahead, its courts would disappear, adding another layer to the debate between those calling for more public facilities and those who want to preserve current sporting uses.