The Regional Government begins the processing of the Bajo Duero meat complex in Zamora

The Commissioner for Depopulation and Territorial Planning, attached to the Ministry of the Presidency of the Regional Government of Castilla y León, has initiated the approval process for the Regional Project of the Bajo Duero Meat Complex, which will be implemented within the municipal boundaries of Fuentesaúco and Villaescusa (Zamora). The decision is formalized through the Resolution of October 30, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León (BOCYL) No. 218, of November 11, 2026, within section I.E of official announcements. The promoter is the company Matadero Bajo Duero, S.L., owner of the plots included in the scope of the project.

A 1998 regulation and a change in competencies

The processing is supported by Article 20.3 of Law 10/1998, of December 5, on Territorial Planning of the Community of Castilla y León. The promoting company submitted its initiative to the then Ministry of Environment, Housing, and Territorial Planning, whose competencies in territorial planning, urbanism, land, housing, and rehabilitation were transferred to the Second Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government of Castilla y León following the entry into force of Decree 2/2026, of June 13.

Decree 10/2026, of June 29, which establishes the organic structure of the Ministry of the Presidency, assigns the Commissioner the processing of territorial planning instruments until their final approval, as well as their monitoring, review, and modification. Pursuant to Article 24 of Law 10/1998, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development issued a favorable report on the processing on February 3, 2026.

23,087.68 square meters of integrated complex

The project envisions an integrated cattle complex with a total built area of 23,087.68 m², intended for the slaughter, cutting, processing, and preservation of beef. The planned facilities are:

• Stables and areas for slaughter, cutting, and dressing.
• Auxiliary rooms and chambers.
• Reception and dispatch departments.
• Packaging, preparation, and product preservation rooms.
• Warehouses, technical facilities, workshops, and offices.

The design will allow for the national and international commercialization of the products and the performance of slaughter according to halal and kosher rites. The chosen location, according to the resolution, is based on its proximity to the main livestock production areas within its sphere of influence and its connection to communication routes, which favors the reduction of animal transport times and facilitates both the supply of the facilities and the distribution of its products.

Forty-five days for allegations and hearings

The resolution submits the Regional Project to public information and hearing for public administrations, with a duration of forty-five days. For the hearing, the period is counted from the day following its notification; for the public information, from the day following the publication of the announcement in the last of the mandatory media: the BOCYL and one of the newspapers with the widest circulation in the affected area.

The documentation may be consulted at:

• The Information and Citizen Service Office of the Territorial Delegation of the Junta de Castilla y León in Zamora, Leopoldo Alas Clarín Street, 3.
• The Open Government platform of the Junta de Castilla y León.
• The Junta’s website dedicated to land-use planning instruments.

Observations shall be submitted using the standardized form IAPA Code no. 3105, in accordance with articles 14 and 16 of Law 39/2015, of October 1. If submitted in person, they must be addressed to the Land Use Planning Service of the Commissioner, at Rigoberto Cortejoso Street, 14, 47071 Valladolid. The text is signed by the commissioner, Jesús Manuel Hurtado Olea.

Declaration of public utility and environmental procedure

The approval of the Project will entail, according to article 22 of Law 10/1998, the declaration of public utility and social interest and the need for urgent occupation of the assets and rights necessary for its execution, for the purposes of compulsory expropriation, temporary occupation, or modification of easements. Furthermore, the project is subject to a simplified environmental impact assessment in accordance with Law 21/2013, of December 9, as it is included in its annex II, group 2, letter f), relating to facilities for the slaughter, cutting, or quartering of animals; the environmental processing is followed under file number EIAS/2026/ZA/001.

The resolution emphasizes the “marked economic and social interest” of the project for Castilla y León, as it promotes the transformation and commercialization of livestock production in the Community, increases the added value of the sector, contributes to job creation, and encourages population retention and economic activity in the rural areas of Zamora. For livestock farmers, transporters, and residents of the region, the 45-day period is the first formal opportunity to make allegations regarding a complex that aspires to become an export reference for cattle in the province.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla y León, no. 218, of November 11, 2026, section I.E (E.2 Other Official Announcements), pp. 552-555 (official reference: BOCYL-D-11112026-218-38).