Seville City Council, through the Urban Planning Management, has granted €2.4 million to ten communities for the installation of lifts in buildings lacking accessibility. The grants cover 95% of the cost of the works.
Ten communities in Seville have benefited from municipal grants to install lifts in their buildings, with a total budget of €2.4 million. The resolution, approved this Tuesday by the Governing Council of the Urban Planning and Environment Management (GUMA), represents a new boost to accessibility in the city.
The grants range from €266,899 to €135,711 per community, covering up to 95% of the cost of the works, as well as 100% of technical fees. Residents will only need to contribute the remaining 5%, a support that the Urban Planning delegate, Juan de la Rosa, has described as "fundamental" for improving the quality of life in the neighbourhoods.
Benefited neighbourhoods and grant requirements
The selected buildings are located in areas with "a need for social transformation" or "serious accessibility deficiencies," such as Los Pajaritos, Polígono Norte, Torreblanca, Polígono Sur, Pino Montano, Rochelambert, and the northern sector of Macarena. Specific addresses include streets like Poeta Manuel Benítez Carrasco, Alondra, Fernández Ardavín, Cigüeña, Torregalindo, Fundidores, Petrarca, Chapistas, Marzo, and Avenida Doña Francisquita.
To access the grants, communities had to demonstrate that residents in their buildings faced "serious difficulties with mobility, economic issues, and dependency," according to the call's guidelines. The Urban Planning Management acts as the promoter of the works, which include demolitions of slabs, modifications of staircases, ramps, or lifting platforms.
A hundred lifts promoted since 2023
Since José Luis Sanz took office as mayor in May 2023, the government team has promoted "nearly a hundred new lifts" in neighbourhoods like San Pablo, Los Pajaritos, or Pino Montano, as recalled by delegate Juan de la Rosa. "We are making Seville more inclusive, more liveable, and improving the quality of life for residents," he stated.
In total, the City Council has received 223 applications for this call, which gives an idea of the existing demand. The ten selected communities were the only ones that met all the requirements, although the City Council continues to keep other lines of aid open. Specifically, two calls have been held for neighbourhoods D and E of Polígono San Pablo, with €2.16 million and €4.8 million respectively, which are currently in the correction phase.
Upcoming aid and deadlines
A third call is planned for the coming months in the same direct allocation modality, which is expected to fund the installation of around 75 more lifts. Additionally, the deadline to apply for aid in Calle Cigüeña in the Los Pajaritos neighbourhood remains open until July 16, aimed at eight buildings undergoing rehabilitation with Next-Generation funds. The budget for this line is €1.9 million and will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted.
For the average resident, these grants represent economic relief and a tangible improvement in their daily lives. Climbing stairs with shopping, baby buggies, or mobility issues is no longer an obstacle. And all this, paying only 5% of the total cost of the work. Not bad for a city that aspires to be "more inclusive," as reiterated by the City Council.
You may also like
