The Provincial Council provides a boat free of charge to Melgar for the Canal de Castilla

The Provincial Council of Burgos has agreed to grant free transfer to the City Council of Melgar de Fernamental of the vessel «San Carlos de Abánades», a heritage asset of its ownership, to be operated for tourism purposes on the Canal de Castilla. The decision, adopted unanimously by the Plenary in an ordinary session on August 28, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Burgos number 175, dated September 15, 2026, and is subject to public consultation for twenty business days.

The agreement was adopted with the qualified majority required by article 47.2.ñ) of Law 7/1985, of April 2, regulating the Bases of Local Government. The procedure is processed through the Legal and Urban Planning Advisory Service for Municipalities and Architecture (SAJUMA), specifically by its Heritage Management Section, which is the body responsible for instructing the transfer.

Legal framework and public consultation process

The transfer is carried out in accordance with article 110 of Royal Decree 1372/1986, of June 13, which approves the Regulations on Assets of Local Entities, and article 83 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations. Therefore, the file is subject to public consultation from the day following its publication in the gazette, for a period of twenty business days, so that any interested party may submit allegations or claims.

• Period for allegations: twenty business days from the day following publication.
• If no objections are presented, the agreement will be understood as definitively approved.
• The file is available for inspection at the Heritage Management Section of the SAJUMA Service, on the 2nd floor of the Provincial Palace (paseo del Espolón, 34, Burgos).

Tourism destination of the vessel

The vessel «San Carlos de Abánades» is transferred to the municipality of Melgar de Fernamental in order to promote the tourism exploitation of the Canal de Castilla, one of the main heritage and landscape attractions of the region. The operation is part of the Provincial Council’s policy to enhance its heritage assets with an economic and tourism return for the territory.

The free transfer entails a transfer of ownership of the asset from the provincial institution to the Melgar council, which will assume its management and operation within the canal environment.

Relevance for the region

The decision reinforces the tourism offering of Melgar de Fernamental and the Canal de Castilla region by providing the municipality with a navigable resource to expand leisure activities and visits along the waterway. For residents and visitors, the commissioning of the vessel could translate into new routes, tourism-related employment, and greater visibility for the province’s hydraulic heritage. The agreement, signed by Secretary General José Luis M.ª González de Miguel in Burgos on September 7, 2026, now awaits the allegations process for its final approval.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Burgos, no. 175, September 15, 2026, III. Local Administration, page 3 (official reference: bopbur-2026-03854).