Torres Novas and Alcanena work in a business area with 500 hectares

Athe chambers of Torres Novas and Alcanena are working on the joint development of business areas along the connection of the A1 and A23 motorways, to a potential extension close to 500 hectares, announced the president of the municipality of Torres Novas.

“ We are working keenly and committedly, these two municipalities, with support from other municipalities to the Middle Tagus, in order to make from there an industrial zone with quality, attractiveness for the companies ", said José Trincão Marques (PS).

At the public meeting of the executive of Monday, the mayor of Torres Novas, district of Santarém, revealed to have contacted that day the mayor of Alcanena, Rui Anastacio (PSD), to continue the articulation between the two municipalities.

According to José Trincão Marques, Torres Novas has in that area close to 300 hectares, to which land of the neighboring municipality is added, making a potential area close to 500 hectares for business development.

The President explained that the objective is to develop in an articulated manner the existing or planned industrial zones in the two municipalities, taking advantage of the strategic location next to the connection node of the A1 and A23 motorways.

“It is a process that is gradually being developed and implemented,” he said, without advancing an implementation schedule or the investments needed to implement the initiative.

José Trincão Marques considered that the location meets favorable conditions for the installation of companies, both for the availability of land and for the accessibility of roads and for the relatively flat characteristics of the area.

The mayor argued that the creation of new business areas should reconcile the attraction of investment with land planning, seeking to avoid conflicts between industrial activities, housing and environmental protection.

“It is an area that has all the conditions to develop Torres Novas from a business point of view, without causing great damage, both to the quality of life of people and the environment,” he said.

The president added that the area should be included in the municipal spatial planning instruments, pointing to the review of the Municipal Master Plan (PDM) as one of the relevant elements for the strategy.

In the same intervention, José Trincão Marques identified Riachos, due to his proximity to the railway, as another axis of economic development of the municipality, complementary to the business area near A1/A23.

The initiative now announced arises in an area where the two municipalities have their own business reception projects, although with different planning and implementation phases.

In Alcanena, Alcanena Business Park – A1/A23 is under development, with about 140 hectares, whose detailed plan was published in 2024 and had a change in May this year.

The first phase of the park's infrastructure was allocated in July 2025, for EUR 6.66 million, with a contractual deadline of 540 days, covering waste, water and sanitation networks, electricity, public lighting and telecommunications.

In Torres Novas, the Chamber decided in July 2024 to begin the preparation of the Plano de Pormenor do Parque Empresarial da Zibreira, also located in the zone of influence of the link between the two highways.

The joint development of business areas may strengthen the capacity to host new economic activities in the region, but José Trincão Marques has not announced any formal agreement, global budget or timetable for the implementation of the joint project.

The House of Torres Novas was questioned by Lusa about the delimitation of the area, the model of cooperation with Alcanena and the investment forecasts, and has not been received so far.