PSD of Matosinhos accuses camera of lying about 1,000 houses in Picoutos

O PSD de Matosinhos today accused the city council of missing the truth about the construction of 1,000 homes in the Picoutos area, saying that what was announced “does not exactly translate what is being studied”.

In a statement headed by a title that emphasises that “the communication of the House cannot replace the truth”, the Social Democrats denounce that the 1,000 houses under study for that area “do not correspond to what the municipal services themselves say is being studied for that area”.

“ It was only when the PSD questioned the executive, in a chamber meeting, that the municipal officials themselves revealed a different reality from what had been announced and advertised by the socialist executive ", denounce.

According to that party, the largest opposition in the Matosinhense executive, this announcement created “expectations with public opinion” and cites a technical officer who explained, in a chamber meeting on October 14, that “several solutions are being studied and that the area has a constructive capacity index between 0.7 and 0.8, so the construction of a thousand fires exceeds what has been idealized”.

In response to Lusa, the Câmara de Matosinhos explains that the study was distributed by the councilors still during the executive meeting, and Lusa found that the email was sent by the services to the councilors at 16:11.

According to the same answer, the numbers “disclosed by the chamber are indicative and are based on the technical study that the PSD has in its possession”, the document being developed by the services since February 2024.

In the e-mail sent to the councillors, to which Lusa had access, it can be read that the document refers “that is designed to build 1,000 houses, public and private”.

The PSD shoots, in the statement, the way a project was communicated to that area after a “negative media attention” on that area, concerning “problems existing in the public space and issues related to the safety and use of the park”, considering this as a way to “produce immediate impact” to “quickly alter the public narrative about Picoutos”.

The Social Democrats submit, in the communiqué, a list of six requirements to the municipality, starting with the presentation of the actual permissible constructive capacity, the number of houses really planned, the distinction “between public, private and mere urban potential”, environmental and territorial constraints, equipment, commercial spaces, services and green spaces and a realistic timetable for any intervention.

“ We are facing an area with relevant territorial and environmental constraints, including areas subject to different protection regimes. Any urban transformation requires framework and respect for territorial management instruments ", says Councilman Bruno Pereira, quoted in a statement.

The issue is the announcement, on October 2, that the House of Matosinhos is studying the transformation of the Picoutos area, where the construction of 1,000 dwellings is planned, to create conditions to respond to the future of the population increase in that place.

In the past, the construction of sports pavilions in that place was evaluated, a project that eventually did not advance due to environmental issues, he recalled.

However, the terrain is often used for sporting events, so the creation of an outdoor space is one of the hypotheses, he stressed.

Following the study, the chamber is demolishing the infrastructure returned to the site and preparing the sealing of space, and the presence of the Municipal Police has been reinforced to ensure the security of space.

In the surroundings of Picoutos is being designed the construction of about 1,000 public and private dwellings – 203 of which already filed with the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU) for affordable income, reminded the municipality.