Ferrovial Agroman takes part in an event on sustainable rehabilitation in rural areas in Castilla and Leon

As a member of the AEICE Sustainable Construction Cluster, Ferrovial Agroman organised an event at the Regional Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, together with the regional department for infrastructure, transportation and the environment of the Castilla y León region, with the aim of promoting the importance of local councils for growth, innovation and cooperation in rural areas, to transform cities into low carbon economies. An event on Sustainable Rehabilitation in Rural Areas, organised by the Castilla & León Region, the Regional Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FRMP) and AEICI, a cluster on habitat and efficient construction of which Ferrovial Agroman is a member, was held on 29th November. This event is set within the framework of the strategies identified in the 3R Action Plan by a task group of companies and professionals participating throughout the rehabilitation process – engineers, architects, specialists on energy and acoustics, knowledge centres, producers, building companies, and companies dealing with rehabilitation and restoration of local heritage – working on the definition and development of Castilla & León’s Sustainable Rehabilitation Plan 2016-2020, which focuses mainly on the residential sector. The event was opened by Juan Carlos Suárez-Quiñones Fernández, head of the regional department for infrastructure, transportation and the environment of the Castilla & León region; Alfonso Polanco Rebolleda, president of the C&L FRMP and mayor of Palencia; and Ricardo Fortuoso, president of AEICE. In his speech, the president of the FRMP said that sustainable rehabilitation is “one of the greatest challenges for rural municipalities in the coming decade” and reminded those present of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the need to modernise local areas whilst taking the environment into account, pointing out that it is “a road that we must embark on together”. He also highlighted the importance of rehabilitation for employment and “the need to invest own resources from the municipalities”, calling for greater flexibility in the use of local councils’ surplus. Mª Teresa de Diego, head of Urban Rehabilitation for Ferrovial Agroman, facilitated a roundtable discussion on financing tools (such as grants, funding and administrative credit) together with Maria Henar González Salamanca, mayor of La Pedraja de Portillo, Luciano Huerga Valbuena, mayor of Benavente, Hugo Manzano, Housing Department Services Coordinator within the local infrastructure department, and Oscar Miguel Ares, architect and lecturer at the Technical School of Architecture of Valladolid University (ETSAV). The debate centred on the need for financial incentives such as grants or tax incentives to encourage owners to invest in rehabilitation, highlighting the need for greater coordination between the regional administrations and central ministries to create a legal framework aimed at guaranteeing stability in financial markets and boosting owner confidence. A considerable challenge to be faced in the coming years.