Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)UNDER fire Ronda Mayor has called for the demolition of 17 illegal builds, some of which he may have given licenses for.
The Mayor – who is being investigated over 12 illegal projects, including the controversial Los Merinos golf development – has apparently taken a U-turn in his new move.
Green group Ecologistas en Accion and the IU party have now criticised Antonio Marin Lara for “back peddling”.
“The damage is already done, the town hall failed to do its job when it gave the buildings the go-ahead in the first place.”
They say that either he or his town hall colleagues would have presided over a number of decisions to grant the building licenses in the first place.
“The damage is already done, the town hall failed to do its job when it gave the buildings the go-ahead in the first place,” explained IU Spokesman Rafael Ruiz.
“Not only that but huge failings were committed regarding surveillance and control. The council should have immediately blocked these plans.”
Ruiz added that, considering the recent negative attention received by Lara, he may have felt “obliged” to make the new moves after orders from above.
Furthermore, green group Ecologistas en Accion explained that although action is now being taken, it doesn’t “excuse anybody from the decisions taken previously”.
Troubled mayor Lara confirmed that although the houses in question are in different stages of construction, they will all still be demolished.
“All the buildings have been constructed on protected land and, most worryingly, five are on the Hoya de Tajo which is an area of maximum protection,” explained Lara.
In particular, some newly-built stables at the foot of the Hoya del Tajo are now under investigation.
The inspectors in charge of investigating the legal builds are currently using a helicopter to aid their hunt for further building infractions.
Sack him and ban him from office. Period.