Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)THE Junta has refused to back down over its tough housing policy stance in the Axarquia region despite local mayors threatening a mass walk out.
The regional body stood its ground and confirmed that it will draw up the latest development plan (PGOU) with or without the support of the 16 mayors within the area.
It also revealed that the plan will not automatically legalise all the estimated 10,000 illegal builds.
Councillor for Housing and Planning, Juan Espadas, said: “The mayors can either choose to collaborate with us on this or resort to further conflict.”
“First of all, we need to set out some distinct rules, which is the aim of the development plan, and then we will see clearly where the illegal builds stand.”
This hard stance will come as a blow for the group of mayors who originally felt “tricked” by the Junta for making policy decisions without sufficient collaboration.
Meanwhile, Espadas added the the Junta will soon be turning its critical gaze towards builds within the Serrania de Ronda and the Guadalhorce valley.
This is nothing less a response than you would expect from such an autocratic body as the Junta de Andalucia who have never heard of “talking with people” or “negotiating” or “meeting with to discuss problems and come to a mutual agreement”? They truely see this as backing down and giving in and NOT a way forward. They would far sooner rule by DIKTAT and have confrontation even if it could be avoided.IF I WAS IN CHARGE OF ANY OPPOSING GROUPS I WOULD THINK ABOUT GIVING THEM THEIR WISH !
This hard line approach by the Junta will not in any way bring peace of mind to the innocent purchasers of the now disputed properties.
It is essential that a sensible solution be reached as soon as possible to restore confidence to the housing market.
The longer the solution takes, the more people will look elswhere to purchase their retirement or holiday homes.
This is income that Spain cannot afford to loose in the present financial crisis and will slow down recovery in the future even more.
Dennis Lewis makes the point most of us would endorse. Sensible solutions without further pain or persecution of innocent parties.
Whilst the Juntas and Town Halls may have legitimate administrative gripes with each other due to historical confusions the public – who are their paymasters- must not suffer in the disgraceful way which they do today.
Proper training and qualifications for those who work with the public is essential. Endemic corruption issues apart, the price of sheer incompetence is a cost almost incalculable for the recipients who are expected to tolerate and pay for this! It is indeed paying to be abused. This has to change quickly and now is the time to do it.
Obscene fines are being placed at the doors of innocent people. Apart from acute grief and distress to the selected parties involved it is a shame Spain must bear.
Let the Tourist Board who are keen to offer fair Spain to the unwary public, and what moral strands are left in the Churches, put pressure on the Junta and its agents to clean up its statutory bodies despicable administrative practices.
People who know what exploitative Spanish administration is doing are asking friends and family to boycott Spain as a country which is no longer trustworthy enough to live in. With regret.
Since when were democratic law-abiding people required to pay for the frauds and incompetences of others?
Let the paymaster engage numbers of competent (but at present unemployed people) properly trained and paid and get the town halls and administrators’ nonsense cleaned up. Then we could all live and breathe a little easier.
Citizen Advocate
Sieze the developers and politicians assets, lock them all up, compensate those who have “valid” paperwork for thier properties then knock them all down. Everyone else who bought a cheap house with no documents just what did you expect, a hansome return and no risk?