en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Santiago de Compostela City Council has approved a payment of €507,353.29 to the Santiago Urban Consortium for the construction of a logistics platform serving the historic city center. This funding represents the final installment of a European Union aid package aimed at supporting the establishment of low-emission zones and the digitalization and sustainable transformation of urban transport.

Approved by the Municipal Management Board, this payment comes from a total EU fund of €3,913,920, which is part of an aid program from Spain's Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda for cities to implement low-emission zones and digitalize and sustainably transform urban transport. The program was approved on February 17, 2022. The project's original budget was €4,348,800 (excluding VAT), with a final total investment reaching €4,598,000 (including VAT).

An agreement was reached in January 2023 between the City Council, the Urban Consortium, and Mercasa (Sociedad de Mercados Centrales de Abastecimiento, the Central Supply Markets Company), assigning the Urban Consortium responsibility for the center's construction, with the actual work carried out by Tragsa. The project site covers nearly 40,000 square meters and is adjacent to Mercagalicia. The land was secured through a special planning initiative called SU-3 Tambre Norte, which was finally approved on October 11, 2023.

City Council spokesperson Míriam Louzao stated that the proposal for establishing a goods distribution logistics center stems from several strategic documents, such as the Royal Trust's multi-year plan, the 2030 Agenda, or the Sustainable Mobility Plan. The center aims to reduce the negative impacts on environmental quality, the use of streets and squares, and cultural heritage caused by an excessive number of delivery vehicles in the historic city center.

The center will function as a goods reception node, distributing items to their final destinations through necessary consolidation. Initially, it will primarily serve the hospitality and food retail sectors, using zero-emission, small-sized, lightweight vehicles. Louzao also noted that the City Council has undertaken municipal works for external access roads, which are not included in the agreement, with a budget of €629,181.26. According to the agreement signed in 2023, Mercagalia will manage this infrastructure through a national concession granted by the city government. This company, majority-owned by the City Council with Mercasa also participating, will be able to generate synergies with its existing operations. The final deadline for the subsidy settlement is September 30.