Town hall parties in disagreement over road name changes

As noted in the Bulletin yesterday, Mayor Noguera (Més) wants to change the names of the Alemania and Portugal avenues and the Via Roma. The two avenues are linked. The mayor is proposing a new name of Gran i General Consell. The Via Roma would become Carrer dels Jurats.

The justification for the changes are because the current names have Francoist connotations in recognition of support, at different times, for the regime. José Hila of PSOE, now deputy mayor, rejects the changes. He notes that when Aina Calvo of PSOE was mayor, changes were made to some sixty street and road names. These all had Francoist connotations, and the changes were adopted in accordance with the law of historical memory. At the time, however, it was decided not to change the names of the three roads that Noguera has in mind. It was argued that Germany, Italy and Portugal were all democratic countries and that judgement should not be made based on the past.

In addition, Hila believes that the public will be inconvenienced by the changes, while he isn't hiding his annoyance at the proposals. If there are to be alterations, he says that these should be a matter for the commission set up by the recent law of democratic memory and recognition.

The culture councillor, Llorenç Carrió (also Més), insists that no date has been placed on any changes and is unable to confirm if Noguera has signed a decree mandating them or not. (It has been reported that he has.) Carrío adds that "we are negotiating with our partners". But this isn't how PSOE see the matter and nor do Podemos; they hadn't been informed.

The leader of the opposition Partido Popular, Marga Durán, says that "once again the town hall government is taking decisions lightly and without consensus". She is to present a proposal demanding all parties represented on the town hall's toponymy commission to not move ahead with any name change "without there being political and residents' consensus".