Controversy in Son Sardina: Cort reclaims the key to the community center managed by residents

PalmaThe Son Sardina Neighborhood Association has reported that the Palma City Council has requested them to return the key to the neighborhood center they currently manage within 15 days, a decision they consider a new episode of institutional “persecution” against the space and the associative fabric of the neighborhood.

As they explained in a statement, the notification arrives a few weeks after hundreds of residents mobilized to demand a public square and a neighborhood center with popular management in Can Pasquet, a historic demand that has had the support of social entities, educational centers, and collectives on the island. The council argues that the management of neighborhood centers is a municipal responsibility and that the activity carried out in the space does not comply with the current regulations. However, the association rejects this justification and assures that the City Council has been creating obstacles for activities for months and has not renewed the use permit, which has been in effect for a decade.

The residents also criticize the state of conservation of the facility and report a lack of maintenance. They assure that last Christmas, a sewage pipe damaged a room that has not yet been repaired, and they point to recurring problems such as leaks or structural damage. In this regard, they argue that the center has remained active “despite institutional neglect”. The conflict is part of a long history of mobilization in the neighborhood. In 2022, they recall, the organized residents stopped an eviction process initiated by CaixaBank, which forced the signing of an agreement with the City Council until 2027.

Regarding the current use of the space, the association argues that the center has become a community meeting point with self-managed activities such as Catalan classes, yoga, martial arts, or various workshops, and they assure that it meets the needs of the neighborhood without having generated conflicts with residents. Finally, the residents accuse the municipal government, formed by PP and Vox, of acting with political criteria and demand the renewal of the use permit, as well as a clear commitment to a public neighborhood center with community management in Can Pasquet. They also demand an end to what they describe as “persecution” and that proximity facilities be strengthened to enhance the social fabric.