Arbúcies

Can you build a house on rustic land?

Catalonia allows no new houses on rustic land. Restoring an existing or listed building is the way.

DL 1/2010, art. 47. A town plan can be stricter.

Plan in force: Plan General (a full town plan), from 1995. The region's planning viewer ↗

The national urban information system (SIU) maps the land class for 100% of the municipality.

Only the town hall can confirm it, in writing: ask for a certificado urbanístico.

Is there water?

IGME records 8 wells and boreholes in Arbúcies. Half of the 8 with a depth found water at 77–122 m. One spring is recorded.

Ground: 96% practically impermeable.

Choosing where to drill takes a hydrogeologist.

What to watch for

• One fire since 2016 reached the municipality: 2 ha, in 2023.
• No mapped flood zone (only studied rivers are mapped).
• 1.1% of the municipality is preferential flow zone, where new building is generally banned.
• 56% of the municipality is Natura 2000: new works need the region's consent.
• 56% of the municipality is a protected natural area, whose plan limits what can be done.
• Radon zone II: new and restored homes need radon protection by law.

Living here

• 4G reaches 99% of homes; fibre 88%. Averages for the municipality.
• Rain: 712 mm a year (1971–2000), about 600 by 2041–2070.
• Summer highs: 25 °C, about 28.4 °C by 2041–2070.
• Frost days: 44 a year, about 23 by 2041–2070.

Around it

Espinelves · Riells i Viabrea · Viladrau · Sant Feliu de Buixalleu · Fogars de Montclús · Sant Hilari Sacalm · Montseny · Santa Coloma de Farners