Two years ago, the transformation of part of Beraun (Errenteria), one of the 21 neighbourhoods belonging to the Opengela programme, began. As a result, 63 homes have been completely refurbished and the public space has been urbanised and improved. This urban regeneration plan has been promoted jointly by Errenteria City Council and the Basque Government and has also involved the participation of the neighbourhood.

It should be noted that, as the Basque Government indicates, ‘the operation as a whole has made it possible to carry out the necessary actions to guarantee the structural, constructive and habitability adaptation of the blocks and has served to improve their energy efficiency by installing ETICS and a ventilated façade’. Likewise, to regenerate the public space and improve the facilities, two new squares have been created in Beraun street; the forms of sustainable and safe mobility in this street have been improved and lifts have been built between Juan Crisóstomo, Aita Donostia and Mauricio Ravel streets. The construction of the new car park building at the end of Beraun street and the surface car park in front of the Basque pelota court have also been carried out.

The plan has also included the refurbishment of the Aldakoenea building for use as a multi-purpose municipal facility by creating a space for the ZU! service to attend to citizens; another for social services and, finally, one managed by the library for the use of citizens.

However, as the Regional Minister for Housing and the Urban Agenda, Denis Itxaso, specified during his visit to the neighbourhood, ‘the department is continuing with the urbanisation and improvement work on the public space’ in order to complete the works as soon as possible.

All this would not have been possible without the support and advice provided by the neighbourhood office (Opengela) to the neighbourhood and community administrators, acting as a one-stop shop for the application and processing of subsidies and carrying out the coordination work between the neighbourhood and the administration for the implementation and execution of the refurbishment work. In fact, the Regional Minister has highlighted ‘the key role’ of the office in the management and accompaniment of the project to the neighbourhood.