Langreo definitively approves the conversion of the Lada thermal power plant

Final approval and official publication

The Plenary City Council of Langreo definitively approved, at a session held on 28 May 2026, the Special Plan for the organisation of consolidated urban industrial land “Former Lada thermal power station (C.T. Lada)”, in La Felguera-Langreo. The approval agreement is published in full in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA) No. 158, of 17 August 2026, in Section IV (Local Administration), under the official reference Code 2026-06698.

This represents a milestone in the economic transformation of La Felguera, a district of the Asturian municipality of Langreo that is home to the site of what was one of the Principality’s main thermal power stations, now intended to accommodate land for industrial activities and advanced services.

Regulatory framework and background

The Special Plan complies with the requirements of articles 148 and 274 of the General Town Planning Plan (PGO) of Langreo, and falls within the urban planning regulations of the Principality of Asturias, specifically Legislative Decree 1/2004, of 22 April (TROTUAS) and Decree 63/2022, of 21 October (ROTU).

The final approval is notified to the interested parties appearing in the proceedings, and the complete technical documentation is published on the municipal website. This agreement may be appealed through administrative contentious proceedings before the High Court of Justice of Asturias within two months from the day following its publication in the BOPA, in accordance with Law 29/1998, of 13 July, regulating the Administrative Contentious Jurisdiction.

Scope and use regime

The Special Plan delimits three differentiated planning areas within the former power station site:

• Area A – Industrial Urban Land: Productive activities – Industry and Warehousing, and Advanced Services (Grade 2, Type II) and manufacturing industries (Grade 3).
• Area B – Local System of Urban Services: Electrical transformer substation of 400/132/27.5 kV “ST LADA”.
• Area C – Local System of Open Spaces: Urban parks, squares, gardens, corridors and riverside paths.

The use regime classifies uses into permitted (qualified, complementary and compatible) and prohibited. The main uses include industry and warehousing, advanced services based on new technologies, research, development and innovation, tertiary uses (offices, commerce, hospitality), facilities and open spaces.

Urban planning parameters and building conditions

The main determinations of the Special Plan include:

• Minimum buildable plot: 1,000 m², with a minimum frontage of 20 meters.
• Net buildability (Grade 2): 0.8 m²/m² of net plot.
• Maximum occupancy (Grade 2): 70% of the net plot, above and below ground level.
• Maximum height (Grade 2): 12 meters to the eaves and 15 meters to the ridge, maximum 3 storeys.
• Parking: One space per 100 m² of built area, within the plot.

For Advanced Services, the conditions are more specific:

• Minimum plot area: 1,500 m².
• Minimum frontage: 25 meters.
• Maximum occupancy: 60%.
• Setbacks: minimum 5 m to side and rear boundaries, 6 m to the alignment.
• Maximum height: 4 storeys.
• Net buildability: 1.5 m²/m².
• 50% of the open space shall be allocated to tree-lined garden.

Productive activities exceeding 5,000 m² will require the formulation of an additional Special Plan, accompanied by the corresponding Environmental Impact Assessment.

Heritage integration and environmental conditions

The Special Plan establishes that the integration of heritage elements to be preserved with newly built industrial buildings will be sought, aiming to create vegetative screens with native species to avoid a strong visual impact.

The industries established must guarantee compliance with acoustic prevention regulations, the absence of nuisance from atmospheric pollutant emissions, and avoid nuisance arising from increased road traffic. Trees of interest shall be protected and preserved, except where technically impossible and duly justified.

Relevance to economic transformation

The final approval of this Special Plan represents a decisive step in the reindustrialisation of La Felguera and the transformation of the legacy of the energy industry in Asturias. The conversion of the former Lada thermal power plant into land suitable for industry, storage and advanced services positions Langreo as a hub for attracting productive investment and the knowledge economy in the Nalón valley.

Source: Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA), No. 158, of 17 August 2026, Section IV – Local Administration (Langreo City Council), p. 1/24 (official reference: Code 2026-06698).