Public interest to expand the Baños de Ebro loading dock

The Provincial Council of Álava has initially approved the declaration of public interest for the project to expand the loading dock in Baños de Ebro, located on plot 113 of polygon 5, classified as non-developable land. The decision is formalized in Provincial Order 451/2026, of September 25, published in the Official Gazette of the Historical Territory of Álava (BOTHA) number 114, of October 5, 2026 (reference 2026-02782). The agreement opens a twenty-day public exhibition period for the submission of allegations.

A process driven by the City Council

The file stems from a request by the Baños de Ebro City Council, which promotes the expansion of the dock towards the west as it is “the most viable solution.” Since plot 113 is classified as non-developable land, the council submitted the file and requested the processing of the declaration of public interest in compliance with article 28.5.a) of the Basque Law 2/2006, of June 30, on Land and Urban Planning.

The order is signed by the Deputy for Territorial Balance and Territorial Planning, Laura Pérez Borinaga, in Vitoria-Gasteiz on September 25, 2026. The department is competent according to Provincial Decree 152/2023, of June 30, which determines the provincial departments for the 2023-2027 legislature.

The text notes that the initial approval is a procedural act, a “simple driver of the procedure,” which does not prejudge the decision reserved for the final approval. No appeal may be filed against the order, as it is an unqualified procedural act.

Key equipment in the midst of the grape harvest

The dock consists of two platforms, upper and lower, separated by a reinforced concrete retaining wall, and two ramps for entry and exit; opposite it, on the other side of the road, is the municipal scale. It is used especially during the grape harvest to unload grapes from tractors and load them into trucks that will transport them to the destination wineries.

• Current capacity: two trucks at the same time.
• Effect: other trucks must wait on the road, which poses a risk to road traffic.
• Expansion: towards the west, over a previously vacant part of plot 113, and it will also extend over plot 112 of the same polygon.
• Works: partial demolition of the dock on one of its sides, new retaining walls anchored to the existing ones, earthworks, and subsequent paving of the upper and lower platforms.

The municipality dedicates practically its entire productive population to the wine sector, and grape growers have progressively transformed their production from their own processing to the sale of grapes to wineries for vinification.

Urban and non-developable land, and pending permits

The report from the city council’s advisory architect, dated August 3, 2026, analyzes the applicable planning: the Subsidiary Norms (NNSS), in effect since July 7, 2004, and the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU), definitively approved with conditions by Provincial Order 204, of April 16, 2026.

• Plot 112: urban land; the NNSS classify it as a consolidated agricultural zone and the PGOU as subzone b.12, for isolated industry.
• Plot 113: non-developable land; the NNSS, as a surface water protection zone, and the PGOU, as a “monte ralo” rural zone.

The architect concludes that, prior to the execution project, the reparceling and urbanization projects must be drafted. Furthermore, the project will require authorization from the Provincial Road Service, as it is within the affected area of the A-4205 road, and from the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation, as it is within the affected area of the Ebro river.

Allegations and next steps

Allegations may be submitted for twenty days following the publication of the order in the BOTHA, through the Common Electronic Registry of the Provincial Council of Álava. The file is available to interested parties at the offices of the Land Use and Urban Planning Service and on the provincial website for declarations of public interest.

The expansion directly affects the grape harvest campaign in a wine-growing municipality: greater loading capacity means fewer truck queues on the main road and less risk to local traffic, although the project must still pass public exhibition, sectoral authorizations, and final approval.

Source: Official Gazette of the Historical Territory of Álava (BOTHA), no. 114, October 5, 2026, section I, pp. 1-3 (official reference: 2026-02782).