A resident of Sant Antoni has raised concerns about the condition of a wooded area near Carrer Tramuntana, describing an accumulation of rubbish, bottles, human waste and other debris and calling for more permanent action to protect the area.

The resident contacted local media to draw attention to what he says has become a long-running problem in the woodland, which he remembers as a natural area where residents could walk with their families and dogs.

According to his account, the area has gradually become increasingly occupied by vehicles, caravans and people staying overnight in cars or tents.

Resident describes growing deterioration

The resident says the woodland has changed significantly over the years.

He claims that areas that were previously covered by vegetation have increasingly become occupied by vehicles, with some apparently abandoned, as well as caravans and other vehicles being used for overnight stays.

He also says rubbish has accumulated in different parts of the area.

Among the waste he says can be found are rubbish bags, bottles, remains from drinking sessions, containers associated with nitrous oxide use, human waste and other discarded material. These observations come from the resident and were accompanied by video footage shared with the report.

The resident says the problem is not limited to litter.

He also describes a loss of the area's previous tranquillity, saying that vehicle movements and overnight activity have contributed to a perception of deterioration and insecurity among some people who live nearby.

Calls for more than occasional clean-ups

The resident says voluntary cleaning days have helped remove rubbish temporarily, but argues that the waste returns shortly afterwards.

In his view, repeated clean-up campaigns alone cannot resolve the underlying causes of the problem.

He is calling for more permanent measures, including tighter control over the use of the woodland as an informal parking area, the removal of vehicles that are genuinely abandoned, stronger cleaning measures and greater surveillance and protection of the site.

His concerns are specifically about the area near Carrer Tramuntana described in his complaint and should not be interpreted as an assessment of all wooded areas across Sant Antoni.

Sant Antoni has been targeting irregular settlements

The concerns come as Sant Antoni continues to enforce regulations against unauthorised camping, caravans being used as accommodation and irregular settlements in rural and natural areas.

According to municipal enforcement information reported earlier in September, the Local Police had issued 41 sanctions during 2026 for camping, motorhomes and irregular settlements.

In the previous month, officers also located and dismantled three significant settlements, including one in a wooded area near the boundary with Sant Josep and others around Sa Talaia and Sa Serra.

The municipal operation involves the Local Police's Environmental Unit, Proximity Unit and Agents for Intrusion and Coexistence, with support from a police drone.

Authorities have identified the risk of forest fires as a particular concern, especially where settlements involve cooking equipment, electricity-generating devices or accumulated materials during periods of high temperatures.

Nitrous oxide remains a wider local concern

The presence of discarded nitrous oxide containers mentioned by the resident also comes against a wider debate in Sant Antoni over recreational use of the substance, commonly known as laughing gas.

The municipality has been taking enforcement action against the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide containers, while local authorities and residents have also raised concerns about their increasing presence in public spaces.

In September, Sant Antoni Local Police announced the arrest of a person after officers discovered an establishment containing 54 boxes of nitrous oxide cylinders, alongside approximately 18 kilograms of suspected drugs. The investigation and legal proceedings concern that specific case and do not establish any connection with the woodland described by the resident.

The municipality has also contracted a specialist service for the management of nitrous oxide containers removed or seized from public areas, reflecting the scale of the waste-management issue associated with the substance.

Residents want the woodland protected

The resident says the main concern is the gradual loss of a natural space that had previously been used by local families and dog walkers.

He argues that the area needs a permanent management and enforcement response rather than relying solely on periodic voluntary clean-ups.

His appeal is for the authorities to address parking, abandoned vehicles, overnight stays, waste and surveillance together so that the woodland does not continue to deteriorate.

The account is a resident's complaint rather than an official environmental assessment of the woodland. However, it highlights several issues that are already part of Sant Antoni's wider enforcement activity, particularly irregular settlements, vehicle occupation of natural areas and waste associated with public-space use.