Madrid’s High Court of Justice addressed the legal questions surrounding the Chamartín operation, now renamed Madrid Nuevo Norte. The court’s ruling marks a clear milestone for what is described as Spain’s largest urban project by location and scale, signaling a significant step forward for the capital’s development agenda.
The Disputed Administrative Section of the Madrid High Court overruled nine objections, confirming that the current modification does not alter land classification nor does it require a substantial increase in developable land for commercial activities, among other points. The court’s decisions can be challenged before the Supreme Court, following standard appellate procedures.
One inadmissible appeal came from Ecologists in Action, a prominent environmental NGO known for opposing many new urban projects. The group criticized the Community of Madrid’s agreements on the Urban Discussion Club, an initiative associated with a former slate of regional politicians. They contended that the urban use of railway land was unlawful and argued that the plan provides less green space and subsidized housing than legally required.
What is Madrid Nuevo Norte?
Operation Chamartín, now Madrid Nuevo Norte, represents the capital’s most important urban development, not solely due to its size but because of its strategic location. The project reshapes the Chamartín Station area, the surrounding neighborhoods, and the railway corridor that runs through the heart of the city. Although the concept traces back to the 1980s, work accelerated from 2020 onward.
According to the project promoter, Crea Madrid Nuevo Norte (formerly Distrito Castellana Norte), the plan envisages the delivery of 3.29 million square meters of new space, including around 10,500 homes plus office and commercial districts. The project involves burying the station and its roads, transforming the space into a large green area comparable to a central park for the city.
The Community of Madrid welcomed the court’s decision. Paloma Martín, the regional minister for Environment, Housing and Agriculture, stated that the development will raise quality of life for thousands and attract substantial investment. The administration also highlighted an estimated 12 billion euros in gross domestic product contribution during the development period.
Arguments of the appellants
People filed appeals against the Madrid Community Governing Council’s March 25, 2020 agreement that definitively approved the Special Amendment to the Convention and the general urban planning framework tied to the Castellana extension and Campamento neighborhood.
Specifically, plaintiffs argued that the measures amending the 1997 General Urban Planning Plan served to obscure the city’s urban review and violated procedural norms. They also claimed the agreement represented a political settlement between parties including ADIF, DCN, and the Madrid City Council, arguing that it contravened provisions in the Community Land Code of Madrid and altered the balance between buildability and social or environmental considerations.
They asserted that the plan did not adequately consider alternative urban development options or properly assess environmental impacts, and that the public railway zone was being urbanized with a heavy concrete layer that diminished green spaces in the final layout.
Proper procedure
The judges dismissed all the plaintiffs’ claims, stating that the amendment of the General City Planning Plan represents a procedural modification rather than a full revision of the 1997 urban plan. They noted that the territorial scope was bounded by APR 08.03 and APE 05.27, but did not redefine the city’s entire planning structure. In the judges’ view, there is no change so sweeping as to alter the overall framework established in the 1997 PGOUM.
They added that adjustments to the built environment do not amount to rewriting the regional model, a point supported by the applicable sections of the LSCM and the Urban Planning Regulation. The decision described urban transformation and rehabilitation aims, the integration of railway infrastructure, and the alignment with the 1997 PGOUM as compatible with the city’s long-term planning objectives.
The court also noted that the use of land previously allocated to the public railway and the construction of a large concrete slab to host green areas can be reconciled with the existing urban model. It rejected claims of power abuse and argued that the legislative framework supports the project’s steps and the public-private collaboration involved in delivering the new urban area.
Protective body
The ruling stresses that the modification does not alter land classification, nor does it mandate a dramatic rise in developable land for economic activities. It also highlights that a new inner-city railway structure and the plan’s green spaces can co-exist without undermining Madrid’s broader urban model as laid out in the 1997 framework and its subsequent updates.
The decision emphasizes that the project integrates the railway system within the city fabric in a way that remains faithful to the original planning objectives and does not trigger an excessive population increase in the municipal area.
Thus, there is no finding of abuse of power, and the court asserts that the transformation aligns with the city’s planning history, underscoring the necessity of coordinated administration and private participation to realize the sustainable urban zone envisioned by the project.
Regarding the probable use of land already designated for railway purposes and the elevated concrete platform that will hold much of the green space, the court affirmed the validity of the land’s alignment with urban nature actions registered in the appropriate registries.
Consequently, the judges rejected allegations of unlawful conduct and concluded that the proposals for the railway zone flooring were legally and urbanistically justified as part of the broader planning background.
The next steps for Madrid Nuevo Norte
The promoter, Crea Madrid Nuevo Norte (previously Distrito Castellana Norte), describes the initiative as a legally robust planning document supported by Madrid City Council and the Community of Madrid, with the involvement of Adif and the national government. The promoter group includes major private partners and banks, which they say reinforces the project’s legitimacy and its potential to become a benchmark for sustainable urban transformation through public-private collaboration.
The upcoming steps involve presenting initiatives across three urban zones (APE 08.21 Las Tablas Oeste, APE 05.31 Chamartín Business Center, and APE 08.20 Malmea-San Roque-Tres Olivos). These plans will map out shared infrastructure, foundational agreements, and the governance structures for future operating boards, enabling the staged urbanization of the Las Tablas Oeste area to begin in 2024.