Investment approach
Plots for Houses in Penedès and Garraf: What to Check
In Sitges and Sant Pere de Ribes a plot is checked against several layers: the municipal plan, the territorial plan, the protected Garraf massif, the coastal law and fire rules.
A plot in Sitges or in neighbouring Sant Pere de Ribes is checked against five layers of restrictions that stack on top of each other: the municipal plan, the territorial plan, the protected Garraf massif, the coastal law and fire safety rules. A plot that is free under the municipal plan may turn out to be unavailable under any other layer. They need to be checked before the deposit, not after the licence.
Where this is and which plans apply
Sitges and Sant Pere de Ribes are in the comarca (county-level district) of Garraf, which borders Alt Penedès. Both comarcas fall within the territorial plan Pla territorial metropolità de Barcelona (PTMB, finally approved in April 2010), which also covers Baix Llobregat, Barcelonès, Maresme and both Vallès. So above every municipal plan stands another plan that it must follow. For Penedès (Alt Penedès, Baix Penedès, Garraf and part of Anoia) the Generalitat is preparing a separate territorial plan (Generalitat documents, 2022); what stage it has reached now should be asked at the Departament de Territori. In neighbouring municipalities of Alt Penedès the same layers apply, but the set differs: inland municipalities have no coast.
Sitges has a POUM (municipal urban plan) published and in force since 24 May 2006 (Ajuntament de Sitges). The plan exists as an interactive map. Sant Pere de Ribes has its own general plan and its own amendments, which must be requested separately from the ayuntamiento. Plans are public, and the ayuntamiento issues a certificate of the plot's planning regime within a month of the request (art. 103 Llei d'urbanisme, the Catalan Urban Planning Law).
Which layers to check
| Layer | What it means for the plot | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal plan | Land class, edificabilidad (permitted buildable floor area), permitted use | Ayuntamiento |
| Territorial plan | Restrictions above the municipal plan | Generalitat |
| Parc del Garraf and Espai d'Interès Natural | A special protection plan applies inside | Diputació de Barcelona |
| Coastal law | Servidumbre de protección (protection easement) near the shore | Ministerio and Generalitat |
| Fire rules | Measures for buildings in and next to forest | Ayuntamiento |
Parc del Garraf. The Espai d'Interès Natural "Massís del Garraf" (protected natural area) covers 14,764 ha and includes the whole park except the Plana Novella zone (Diputació de Barcelona). The park covers, among others, parts of Sitges and Sant Pere de Ribes (Diputació de Barcelona). A plot inside the massif is governed by a special protection plan, not only by the municipal plan.
The coast. The coastal law (Ley 22/1988, Ley de Costas) sets a servidumbre de protección: 100 metres from the inner boundary of the shore strip, extendable by a further 100 metres (art. 23). Residential buildings are prohibited in this zone (art. 25.1.a); the law allows exceptions only by decision of the Consejo de Ministros (art. 25.3). For land that was already urban when the law came into force in 1988, the width is 20 metres (disposición transitoria tercera). Which regime applies to your plot will be shown by the deslinde line (the official boundary of public coastal domain), not by an advertisement's map.
Fire. Catalan Llei 5/2003 on forest fire prevention applies to urbanizaciones, settlements, buildings and installations in forest and in a 500-metre strip around it (art. 1). Which properties are affected is determined by the delimitación plan approved by the ayuntamiento (art. 2). The measures include a protective strip at least 25 metres wide around the building, free of dry vegetation (art. 3). A plot in such an area needs these measures, and they cost money.
What the project in Sitges showed
The plot in Sitges was bought for 509,250 €. Permits and licences cost 20,000 €. Two years later it was sold with a licence for 760,000 €. The difference before other costs is 230,750 €: sale minus purchase minus 20,000 €. Taxes, financing, closing and other costs are not included; this is not net profit and not an investor's return. Past results do not guarantee future ones, and one project does not show how another plot nearby will behave. More about the project: Sitges, the case study and the overview of the Sitges market.
Order of checks before the deposit
- Obtain from the ayuntamiento the land class, edificabilidad and permitted use under the plan.
- Check whether the plot lies within the boundaries of Parc del Garraf or an Espai d'Interès Natural.
- Verify the deslinde line and the width of the servidumbre de protección if the plot is near the shore.
- Find out whether the plot falls in a fire-measures zone and what requirements that brings.
- Establish whether a plan change is under way and whether the issuing of licences has been suspended (the risk of a plan change).
- Pass the results to an abogado (lawyer) and an arquitecto before signing arras (the deposit contract), as described in the article on the plan check.
Who a plot in Garraf does not suit
It does not suit anyone choosing by sea view instead of by documents: it is the layers above that decide whether building is possible. It does not suit someone who needs a quick deal either: some of the checks go through several agencies. A third case is a plot inside the protected massif. A licence cannot be counted on there without a written answer from the administration.
If you want to sketch a scenario for a plot, start with the calculator and the land direction.
Questions and answers
Which comarca is Sitges in?
In Garraf, next to Alt Penedès. Both comarcas fall within the territorial plan of the Barcelona metropolitan area (PTMB, 2010).
Can you build inside Parc del Garraf?
A plot inside the massif is governed by a special protection plan, so the answer depends on the specific plot and on the administration's decision. Ask the ayuntamiento and the Diputació before the deal.
What is a servidumbre de protección?
A zone along the shore where residential building is prohibited: 100 metres from the inner boundary of the shore strip (art. 23 and 25 Ley de Costas), and 20 metres for land that was urban in 1988.
Where can I see the Sitges plan?
The Ajuntament de Sitges website has a POUM page with an interactive map. Check it against the current amendments to the plan.
