Jacqueline Fanchini (Reporter)THE President of the Junta de Andalucía spoke of a proposal to change legislation that affects ‘thousands and thousands’ of illegal houses in the Andalucían Parliament debate about the region’s autonomy.
There are at least 300,000 illegal houses built on non-urbanisable land which are in a ‘limbo of legal uncertainty’.
“We are going to respond to the situation that affects thousands of families and that cannot be ignored by the Administration,” said Susana Díaz.
“My Government is going to propose to Parliament a change to article 185 of the Planning Law of Andalucía which will make it possible to regularize thousands and thousands of houses in Andalucía,” she added.
The ‘AUAN’ association – which campaigns for the legalisation of these properties – believes that solutions must be found as demolishing as they do not see the demolition of so many homes as a viable option.
Maura Hillen, AUAN President, said: “Finally there seems to be political as well as social consensus regarding illegal houses in Andalucía.”
She added: “It is not acceptable to ignore these houses pretending that they do not exist because there are thousands of houses that may be affecting the environment that are currently not being recognised and regulated.”
A regularisation decree was passed in 2012 but – as AUAN had predicted at the time – the problem remained unsolved as many of the affected houses were on illegal land divisions.
However, Ecologists in Action – a confederation of more than 300 ecologist groups across Spain – are very critical of the announcement and say it irresponsibly encourages illegal construction on rural land.
Commenting on the reforms a spokesperson said: “It is a commitment to illegal urbanism and guarantees impunity for builders and owners of illegal houses.”
The answer is simple. Cut the Gordian Knot, make the decree “thus far but no further” Legalise what’s there but come down like a ton of bricks on any further attempts at illegal builds. The Ecologists will have to be happy with a compromise and can concentrate on Algarrobico, plenty to chew on there. (As if anyone in the Spanish administration gives a flying fig what they say anyway)
Trouble is, the weasel word from Diaz is, “possible”.
What about compensation for the Prior’s?
And then the next story is that the politicians including this Diaz woman have been buying up these illegal property’s for pennies in the pound.
Suddenly they decide to legalize them means there is some financial lubrication for them.
Window dressing, just for show, like everything done by Spanish politicians of all colours…
Its not that simple…..if you make them legal, you reward those who have been a-social and avoiding taxes….by not legalising you destroy lives of people who where good at faith, and were tricked in to illegal buying..like the Priors….
Make a difference between those who just build whitout any respect for the law(domilition) and those who did their job, and checked legality,, but who fell in a paperwork trap…( legalise for 50 years….)
just a thought…
Tell the environmentalists to bog off and legalise the affected properties – it is the Junta’s job to make sure the law is upheld in the future. Demolition is mindless, gives the place a bad reputation and will make the property market even worse that it is.
I hope this Diaz woman doesn’t expect any thanks for supposedly attempting to sort out a problem that her useless party created in the first place.
Where were the environmentalists when all these houses were being built?
Luc: You’re describing an ideal world, but this is Spain…No one could be trusted-(bribery and corruption)-to differentiate in the way you describe.
In order to protect the innocent, it will be necessary to reward some who are not so righteous. To try and figure out who is which will only drag the whole thing out even further. People left in Limbo need to see a legal conclusion, at least before they die. Of course compensation for those previously wronged must be written in to the deal.
We are still left with that wriggle word though-“possible”.
Most of these ‘illegal’ houses are inland, in small and underpopulated areas – where they could bring in much needed wealth and create some jobs to lower the (anything up to) 70% unemployment.
The Andalucian building rules essentially allows a small percentage growth every eight years. Fine if you are a city, idiotic if you are a village.
The ecologists have too much power and too little understanding of their countryside or of Economics 101.
Lenox is right. In Spain, planning laws are stuck in the 19th century, not fit for purpose… A lot of the builds are illegal because it’s easier than wading through the mounds of red tape. I built my house totally legally, and it *only* took 2 years to get the permiso de obra. From the paperwork and steps involved, one would have thought I was building a nuclear power station, and not a modest little house…
Would anyone be surprised if this proposal turn out to be just another money-making exercise.
You know the sort of thing: “Yes, you bought in good faith. Now how about you simply pay us an enormous amount of money (each) and we’ll make your problems go away”. Whether it would be called a fee, a tax or whatever I think everyone who has any experience would recognise a shakedown when they saw it.
I wouldn’t trust the Junta de Andalucia as far as I could throw them and I doubt these new proposals will be anywhere near as far-reaching as they need to be. The rural property laws need to be radically reformed, all affected properties must be legalised immediately without ripping off the owners and all injured parties like the Priors must be adequately compensated.
These so-called ecologists are bullies and people need to stand up to them. While all these so-called illegal properties were being built the Junta de Andalucia and all the ecologists sat back and did nothing for 15 years but they were happy to see all the taxes rolling in.
Now the very institution which created all the problems miraculously comes up with a supposed solution and expects people to be grateful….
I suppose if we were to wait long enough pigs might grow wings.