Brunete, a town of just over 11,000 residents west of Madrid, is preparing for a change that could reshape its identity and the region’s housing field. Local authorities have revived a large-scale urban development plan, first conceived during Spain’s construction boom, that would add 17,572 new homes and potentially bring in 52,000 new inhabitants. That would multiply Brunete’s population nearly sixfold, turning a quiet municipality into a city-sized community.
The project, known as Nuevo Brunete, began its initial phase last year with land preparation work. Mayor Mar Nicolás has presented the expansion as a response to the acute shortage of affordable housing in the Madrid area. As property prices in the capital push many families out, Brunete and other towns on Madrid’s outskirts are moving to absorb the overflow. Similar plans are underway in El Molar and Paracuellos de Jarama. Tres Cantos is also considering thousands of new homes.
The proposed growth is part of a wider regional housing push. Madrid’s regional housing councillor, Jorge Rodrigo, has said new urban-development areas across the region could accommodate around 280,000 to 300,000 homes over the next 15 years. He described a strategy of developing new areas to meet long-term demand, rather than relying solely on land within existing urban boundaries. That ambition provides context for Brunete’s plans, but does not determine the approvals or construction timetable for the municipality’s development.
Nuevo Brunete’s scale is unprecedented for the town, and it has sparked both hope and anxiety among locals. Some see an influx of residents and services as a long-overdue boost for a town that lost its only Mercadona supermarket five years ago. Others worry about losing the rural character and green spaces that define daily life. They also question whether infrastructure and public services, already stretched in areas such as healthcare and transport, can keep pace with such rapid growth.
Residential construction is also advancing through smaller projects in Brunete’s development areas. Grupo NiDra is managing a 61-home free-market cooperative scheme for Greenhabitat El Pinar in Sector 1, Primera Corona, with an announced investment of €30 million. The plans call for two blocks, each with a ground floor, three upper levels and a roof floor. Homes will have between two and four bedrooms. The scheme includes 16 ground-floor homes with private gardens, plus nine penthouses with terraces and roof solariums. It also includes parking and storage rooms. The stated investment divided by the planned homes is approximately €492,000 per dwelling. That is a project-investment quotient, not an individual home’s sale price.
NiDra’s published Brunete pipeline also includes a separate 74-home development of VPPB housing, or basic-price publicly protected homes. The project includes garages and storage rooms, along with landscaped communal areas and a swimming pool. Together, the two schemes account for 135 homes in the company’s identified projects, not the full Nuevo Brunete master plan. Separately, 270 protected homes have been associated with Sector SR-5 in Brunete’s southern expansion area. The application period for the related draw was extended to 13 November 2026. SR-5 is distinct from the 61-home cooperative scheme in Sector 1. These figures describe separate initiatives, not a single combined project.
Environmental groups and urban planners have warned about the risks of unchecked expansion. They point to the potential loss of natural land and the creation of new commuter suburbs heavily reliant on cars. The debate also reflects regional measures intended to increase protected housing through land-use changes affecting building capacity and residential density. The Community of Madrid’s structure includes Law 3/2024, concerning the promotion of protected housing, and Law 2/2026, which introduced urgent measures to increase its supply. These measures permit certain planning changes under defined conditions. They do not automatically authorize construction in Brunete.
A related special plan approved by Madrid City Council on 8 October 2026 and published in the regional bulletin on 14 October applies to Madrid city. Brunete remains subject to its own municipal planning approvals and regional planning controls. The Community of Madrid’s official bulletin, the Boletín Oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid, issued No. 253 on 23 October 2026. It is the formal publication channel for regional measures and planning decisions. As one activist put it, the vision of a “Madrid DF” competing with global megacities is driving local leaders to open the floodgates for development.
The changes are already visible on the ground. Construction vehicles move in and out of the future development zone, while new real estate agencies have appeared near Brunete’s traditional Plaza Mayor. Skepticism remains high. Many residents recall earlier expansion plans that stalled amid irregularities or the 2008 financial crisis. Nuevo Brunete’s timeline stretches over 15 to 20 years, the mayor says, but doubts persist about whether the project will be completed or deliver on its promises of affordable housing.
Opposition groups in the town council acknowledge the need for growth but caution against repeating the traffic congestion and service shortages seen in other rapidly developed suburbs. Public transport is limited: there is no Cercanías rail link, and weekend bus service to the nearest hospital is often unavailable. Some fear a sudden population surge could overwhelm Brunete’s schools and health centre, while also putting pressure on the library. They also worry that growth could erode the close-knit community atmosphere that drew many residents away from Madrid in the first place.
Property prices in Brunete remain lower than in neighbouring affluent towns such as Boadilla del Monte and Villanueva de la Cañada. Second-hand apartments range from €200,000 to €400,000, while chalets cost between €500,000 and €700,000. Residents are divided on whether the new supply will keep prices in check or push them up as the town attracts wealthier newcomers.
Brunete’s planned expansion is part of a broader trend across Spain, where housing shortages and urban sprawl are reshaping the outskirts of major cities. In other regions, including Barcelona, the struggle over tourist apartments continues (recent developments in Eixample and Gràcia). The balance between growth and affordability remains contentious, as does the question of quality of life. In the coming years, Brunete’s plans will face a test: whether they can deliver sustainable housing or repeat the boom-and-bust cycles that have marked Spain’s recent history.
