The Seville City Council plenary holds an ordinary session this Thursday, July 16, with key issues: the participation process regarding the mosque in Polígono Sur, the agreement to reorganise Paseo de la O, and the creation of climate refuges.
The plenary session starts at 9:00 AM with the swearing-in of Javier Navarro as the new Vox councillor, replacing Cristina Peláez, who has moved to the Andalusian Parliament as a regional deputy. The agenda also includes the modification of the permanent commissions agreed upon in September 2024.
Mosque in Polígono Sur: Citizen Participation at the Centre of the Debate
The mosque project in Polígono Sur is back on the agenda. The plenary will address the open citizen participation process, after the building permit was removed from the agenda of the Urban Planning executive committee last week at the request of Vox. The party will ask Mayor José Luis Sanz for details of the process.
The controversy has dragged on for months, causing tension among residents and politically. The City Council is now looking to channel the debate with an active listening mechanism, although positions remain divided between those defending the right to religious freedom and those warning of the urban and social impact in a particularly vulnerable neighbourhood.
Paseo de la O and SE-40: Two Key Projects for Mobility
The plenary will greenlight the agreement with the Ministry of Development to reorganise Paseo Nuestra Señora de la O and its connection with Calle Betis, a long-demanded action by residents and merchants of the Old Town. The intervention aims to improve accessibility and enhance pedestrian use of this tourist area.
In terms of infrastructure, the PP presents a motion urging the central government to complete the SE-40 and to construct tunnels under the Guadalquivir River instead of the projected bridge. The request comes at a time when traffic jams on the ring road have become chronic, affecting thousands of drivers who enter and exit the capital daily.
"It is a historic demand of Seville. We need a definitive solution for the SE-40, and the tunnels are the most viable option both technically and environmentally," stated the PP spokesperson in the City Council.
Climate Refuges, Protected Housing, and Emergencies
The session also includes the creation of a network of climate refuges in the city, a measure to mitigate the effects of increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves. Public spaces and municipal facilities will be conditioned as cool zones accessible to the population.
With Podemos-IU, a motion is being brought forward to protect families residing in the protected housing on Avenida Concejal Alberto Jiménez Becerril, number 27, and for the property to become part of the public park of Emvisesa. Additionally, it calls for the "protection" of the emergency service 092, amid fears of a potential covert privatisation.
The PSOE, for its part, questions the mayor about minors with functional diversity excluded from socio-educational programmes and presents a motion to ensure the maintenance of green areas and roads in Jardines del Edén. Vox proposes a municipal plan for deregulation and administrative simplification.
During the citizen turn, the AMPA La Jara from the public school Pinaflores inquires about the installation of shade at the centre, a recurring demand from families due to high temperatures.
The plenary promises an intense day, with debates that directly affect the daily lives of Sevillians: from urban planning to public health and mobility. The session, which is broadcast live, is expected to last well into the afternoon.
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