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War in Mallorca to illegal urbanism based on fines and demolitions
DANIEL ÁLVAREZ Palma
12/03/2017 10: 49The Consell de Mallorca has doubled this legislature the staff of the agency in charge of combating illegal urbanism on the island, now renamed the Territorial Defense Agency, and after having relaunched the inspections has reactivated the demolitions with A wave of new cases and executions of demolitions of houses, in many cases constructions – on rustic land, without permits and even in areas of maximum protection in which any house is forbidden – on which weigh demolition orders for years, That went back to several legislatures and accumulated a decade of waiting. This agency, created by the previous Pacte in 2008 and which began its activities effectively the following year, has been reinforced in these almost two years of mandate of the current Pacte in the Consell with more staff, going from the 14 employees who had the Beginning of the legislature to reach thirty, and has also gained weight and drive, with a greater field of action to have multiplied the number of municipalities adhered, from six of almost two years ago to a total of 13 in a list that soon Will again increase to 16, and in turn with determination to impose economic fines and execute demolitions of illegal constructions. The most recent demolition has begun this week and is the first one that executes in the municipality of Pollença, but the wave of demolitions has taken force In recent months, with cases that go back to orders still to be executed since 2007, such as unlicensed homes built on rustic land in the municipalities of Llucmajor and Sencelles, on a plot that does not reach 5,000 square meters and in another 2,000, far from the minimum conditions that allow a house to be built – the minimum plot is still in force at 14,000 square meters. At its last meeting, which was also the first public session in the history of this organization, the town planning agency, under the chairmanship of Territorial Councilor, Mercedes Garrido (PSIB-PSOE), approved seven new new demolition orders Of works without a license – in Algaida, Muro, Consell, Marratxí, Alcúdia and two in Montuïri. The most scandalous work of which he has recently reported and ordered to demolish is a luxury chalet in Alcúdia, built on high-end rustic land, a plot in ANEI of High Level of Protection and Area of Territorial Protection of Coasts in the That the use of housing is absolutely prohibited and in which the owners had built two houses, a swimming pool, a pond, a miniature golf field with natural grass and several terraces, and that advertised in Internet portals dedicated to tourist rental. In parallel, last week, another illegal house in Buger, a two-storey single-family home, also built without a license and on which a demolition order weighs since 2009. The enforcement fines are having an effect in most cases of houses Illegal aliens detected, explains to this newspaper the Consellera Mercedes Garrido, who admits in this respect the “important step” that meant the introduction of this type of sanctions in the Land Law approved by the previous Government. Although, above all, it applauds the hardening of this legislation and the new competences in discipline that grants the Consell the new Law of Urbanism that finishes the Government and that, clarifies, has been agreed with the insular government. Garrido explains that, in what Only in one case has it been necessary to impose a third coercive fine, while in the rest, the former have been sufficient to get the owners to comply with the voluntary demolition period established by law. The regulations grant to the person who opts in this way the possibility of recovering 80% of the fine initially paid for the illegal construction and thus reduce the penalty. If they do not accept, the administration can impose up to twelve fines, the value of which corresponds to 10% of the work erected irregularly, according to Garrido. The consellera also affects that the law approved in 2014 established the obligation of the administration to reiterate all orders for demolition of works not prescribed and underlines that it has been the current government of the Consell that has implemented this measure. During the last legislature, the agency’s activity fell by 40%, with the PP in power, in the midst of economic crisis, with budget cuts – also in the agency itself – and the construction sector in freefall. The inspections also fell sharply and half of the legislature registered 200 less per year Compared to 2010, the year this body had reached its highest levels – more than 500 inspections. A separate question is that afterwards they ended up in fines and ended up collecting them – the last few years had only got to receive half or less of the money from the sanctions imposed. – As far as the legislature, on the other hand, the Pacte has been reinforcing , Until doubling the template, the agency that since 2015 directs Bartomeu Tugores – whose appointment also covered a damn place occupied by an accidental director in five of the first six years of life of the organism. Of the 14 employees at the beginning of his term of office, he has increased his staff up to 29 at this time, after a last modification to create nine new places: six technicians, two assistants and a lawyer. It has also improved salaries in a dozen places, including those of six inspectors. The agency that seeks to control illegal urban planning in Mallorca has also managed to expand its field of action and already manages a quarter of the territory of the island, Although it can act throughout Mallorca when it comes to protected rustic soil. He has added new accessions of municipalities that give him powers and is in the process of incorporating more. The last one to ask for its adhesion is one of the most important, Manacor, governed by the PP and the PI. Búger and Selva are already processing and are ready, which will be 15, one more with Manacor. The list was six years ago and today it is 13: Campanet, Puigpunyent, Algaida, Marratxí, Son Servera, Montuïri, Artà, Felanitx, Mancor de la Vall, Alaro, Santa Maria del Camí, Bunyola and Sóller. Another novelty of the agency to attract the municipalities is that its surplus will be distributed among the adherents. Meanwhile, environmentalists from the GOB put new duties on the eve of the Pacte: they ask to increase the protection of the rustic land warning of an avalanche of requests for construction licenses, many linked to the tourist rental business. The GOB claims a moratorium on licenses on rustic land and urges the Council to revise the Territorial Plan.