Posts Tagged almanzora
Too little, too late
Is this, perchance, a joke on the Junta’s part?
Junta sets up real estate network to sell legal properties to expats
Well, at least they recognise that they’ve destroyed Andalucia as a second home residence by allowing builders to put up lots of shoddy, illegal homes then bugger off scot free. Then knocking the homes down with compensating the expats who have bought them. Which, as you can imagine, has not gone down well with the expats who have warned everyone not to come to Spain.
The solution? Apparantly, instead of legalising the homes already built and punishing the people who put them up, is to gather all the unsold homes and legalise them, before trying to flog them, thus allowing the builders to recoup costs and build more.
People who have already brought in Andalucia can go whistle.
Sooner we get rid of the PSOE the better. Incompetent bunch of “b”ankers. Juan Espadas, our local Housing Honcho, has admitted “there is no solution in sight” for the 6000+ illegal homes in the Almanzora.
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New 10 pin bowling centre in Arboleas
I was up at the opening of the new 10 pin bowling centre in Arboleas, the Arboleas Bowling Centre.
Amazing place. I walked in and thought I’d been transported to a big city. No expense spared on the decor.
12 high tech bowling lanes, comfy shoes, nice socks and even better prices. Spacy, decent a/c and a large cafeteria serving what looked like quite decent snacks and meals.
I predict a rosy future, and if you fancy a game – well, prices start from €3,50 p.p. per game, so what are you waiting for?
Amigos Bowling Centre
More and photos: http://www.thereader.es/en/almeria-news-stories/413-new-bowling-centre-opens-in-arboleas.html
Urban Abuse Protest March in Almeria city
Lenox is announcing the organisation of a peaceful and legal demonstration in Almeria city against urban abuse in the countryside.
“Theme: Stop Corruption. Justice Now. Support us. We bought in good faith. Save our homes. Stop planning and real estate abuse. Regularisation now. Justice for the Priors. Transparency and Citizen Participation.
The organisers, residents in the province of Almería, are holding a peaceful protest: (1) against real estate and planning corruption and insecurity and to ask for justice; (2) to ask for solutions and the protection of purchasers in good faith, some of which, are subject to the threat of demolition, and many of which do not have proper water and electricity; (3) to seek transparency and citizen participation in the regularisation process; (4) against proposed charges the Junta seeks to levy within the regularisation process, and which should be met by those responsible, and to ensure this is guaranteed in writing; (5) to ask for justice for the Prior family, victims of so-called ‘planning irregularities’, whose house was demolished a year ago, and who have not yet seen any sign of redress.”
Thank you for the support of the following citizens movements: AVEP, AULAN, AUAN, AUN, LSOS, Ciudadanos Europeos (other contacts at ‘politics’ in links at top of page).
If anybody wants to have a seat on a chartered bus for a nominal charge (Vera, Mojacar, Turre and Los Gallardos pick-ups), get in touch with AULAN secretary ASAP at info@aulan.es or phone 950 069 558.
Junta will legalise a large number of urban centres throughout the Almanzora
In the IV Urban Planning conference in Albox yesterday, Luis Caparros, AKA “Mr Demolition Man”, announced that the Juntas’ Planning Department would proceed to legalise “a large number” of illegal “urban centres” that are scattered across the Almanzora.
The Juntas’ definition of “urban centre” is of several houses in close proximity that can be used to justify the reclassification of the surrounding land to urban and the consequent construction of houses next to them. If you remember, this was why the Priors house was demolished, as it was deemed that it together with the neighbouring houses (also under a demolition order, not yet executed) could form the nucleus of a new village.
In brief, this is the expected announcement that the Junta will start legalising lots of nonthreatening homes, which will allow them to have connections to utilities – and, of course, be taxed.
Prision to be built in the Almanzora valley?
The Mancomunidad de Municipios del Valle del Almanzora (the association of mayors from the Almanzora valley) has suggested building a prision in the area. According to their calculations this would result in the creation of over 1000 jobs and increase security in the area.
They have already planned a jaunt up to Granada to see how a village there copes with a prision, and have created a subcommittee to study the pros and cons of the idea. It seems that all mayors in the area, with the exception of the mayor of Lúcar, are all for it. If the subcommittee recommends it, then they will put the idea to the National Government.
However, the police department have, when contacted, confirm that a prision in the area does not figure in their 2006-2012 plans, and “no decision would be taken for a few years”. So it’s probably just an attention grabbing way for the mayors to say that, yes, they are thinking of how to increase employment in the area, and will never come to fruition.
Sounds like somebody’s been playing SimCity again!
IV conference on Urbanismo in Albox this 22nd & 23rd October
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IV conference on Urbanismo in Albox this 22nd & 23rd October
The IV annual conference on Urban Matters will be taking place in the multiple uses building in Albox this 23rd and 24th of October, and will, among other guest speakers, be hosting a discussion by the Director General of Urban Inspections of the Junta de Andalucía, D. José Antonio Ortiz Mallol (a man whose business cards must be far too long to fit his title in), Hilario Hernandez, (Head of legal services for the building department of the town hall of Alcala de Granada), Antonio Navarra (CEO of Calitas) and José Antonio Perez, subdirector of Practical Business Studies of Malaga University; on the topic of “Illegal buildings in the Almanzora valley: Solutions suggested by the Junta de Andalucía, and previous solutions carried out by other parts of Andalucía”.
In other words, hopes are high that this conference will be used to officially designate the future strategy of the Junta de Andalucía for the regulation of illegal buildings in the Almanzora valley.
The other interesting debate will be between the president of ASEMPAL, the director of La Voz de Almería and an arquitect for UNESCO who is from this region, and will discuss the future of the Almanzora valley, the ideas that are being mooted from Seville for the area and what the locals think should happen to continue the growth and development of the area.
The conference is free to all, until capacity is reached, and has been organised by the “Asociación de Empresarios y Profesionales de Albox Valle del Almanzora” (ASEMPAL). A number of “highups” from the Diputacion de Almeria and Junta will be attending and participating, no doubt in order to “plant” a few questions at strategic points.
(From Teleprensa.net)
Caparros denies that illegal building continues in the Almanzora
Luis Caparros, the man from the Junta with shares in the local demolition company, publically said this morning that he does not believe that currently any more illegal buildings are being constructed in the Almanzora valley, and claims that the only construction being carried out in the area are with “all legal permits”. He also denied claims that construction of illegal houses have “accelerated” in order to take advantage of the legalisation plans – and claims that all illegal half built houses have been paralysed.
He also pointed out that neither he nor his team are police, and that he can only work with the information provided to him via the police, public prosecutors, town halls and other official bodies who carry out on the ground inspections.
He also reminded us of the important part that ecologist groups have to play in a modern society, but asked them to remember that common sense and a sense of publilc decorum is important to prevent spreading unnecessary public alarm. Not sure why he had to point this out, he may be building up to some sort of denouncement against Greenpeace?
Junta starts to realise there may be more illegal houses than thought
(Opinion piece)
There is an interesting piece in Wednesdays La Voz de Almeria (remember, I’ve been away for a few days so I spent Sunday catching up) about how in the Seville meeting between the Junta and some of the town halls, Lubrin admitted to having found over a thousand houses built on rustic land, and Oria another 900. This makes 2 out of every 3 houses in Oria illegal!
The Junta has spent some time now quoting the magic “6000” figure in relation to the number of illegal houses in the Almanzora valley. It’s obviously problematic for a politician to stand up and admit that they haven’t a clue, so a nice round figure like 6000 keeps the hecklers quiet. The trouble is, it’s bull plop. Nobody has a clue how many illegal houses there are in the Almanzora valley, for the simple reason that nobody has counted them. That’s the first step in the Juntas new Plan General de Inspeccion de Andalucia – count the damn things.
La Voz, while a nice little paper with lots of interesting yet important local news*, is part of Grupo Prisa, which is Spains largest media corporation that owns among other things El Pais, Cadena Ser, 40 principales, SogeCable…. well, check out www.prisa.com for the full list. It’s staunchly Pro-PSOE, except when it’s owner falls out with Zapatero, and La Voz could be considered to be our own little Pravda. Studying the little details in it is our own little divination, which I call Lavozmancy, and tells of the future as seen by the Junta de Andalucia. Well, it makes more sense than Uromancy!
What this little story tells me is that the Junta is slowly starting to prepare the ground for the truth, ie that the 6000 figure is b.s. In a few months it can point to previous press reports and blame the local town halls for not providing accurate figures, and profess horror at the true scale of the problem. There are also hints that the local town hall inventories may be used to assess the number of illegal builds which will speed up the whole process of the Plan General.
Which, to me, is an encouraging sign. With the current economic crisis in the area, the Junta (and Madrid) knows perfectly well that the local taxes not being paid by the illegal houses are astronomical, and wants to get them in ASAP. So, they are starting to prepare the ground, first by admitting that, yes, there are more illegal builds then previously thought, and that yes, there is a plan to legalise them (the new Plan General de Inspecciones).
But, before we break open the champers…
In many cases, the houses have not paid local municipal building taxes or planning permission taxes. (A bribe to the mayor at the time doesn’t count). What’s the betting that, even if the house is given a clean bill of health (and it looks like all of them, excepting a few in Ramblas or natural parks will) the owner doesn’t get the paperwork until all back taxes are paid?
Start saving!
*I know a couple of the reporters. Lovely fellas. The editor is a nice chap who is genuinely interested in local affairs. It’s the director who’s the toading bastard who fires anyone who doesn’t toe the company line. Allegedly.
later A further “minimum” of 800 illegal houses in Partaloa and a further “minimum” of 900 in Cantoria. Bearing in mind Cantoria claims a large number of its houses are “legal”….
Junta announces plan to legalise illegal Almanzora houses
Juan Luis Caparros, delegate of Public Works (Obras Publicas) of the Junta de Andalucia, has announced after a long meeting with the mayors of Albox, Arboleas, Zurgena, Cantoria, Lubrin, Albanchez and Partaloa that these municipalities will be included within the new Plan General de Inspección de Andalucía, the new legal framework the Junta is working on to legalise illegal houses.
The regulations for the new Plan General, which is expected to be finished and ratified by the end of the year, allows the Junta to include or exclude individual existing houses in municipal planning laws retrospectively.
The general idea is to survey each “illegal” house in these municipalities (and others across Andalucia) individually. Depending upon the results of the survey, three outcomes are possible:
- The house, if located near others (ie in an illegal urbanizacion) can be legalised as a block, and public infrastructure allocated. So, if there is an illegal urbanizacion that isn’t doing any harm, the Junta will legalise the lot and build roads, electric, sewer and the like. In certain cases they will also earmark that zone for future construction and expansion.
- The house, if alone but not doing any harm, may be allowed to stay but placed in a zona de protección especial which basically prevents any modifications to the house or any other houses to be built nearby – anyone who builds a house nearby will be prosecuted under penal law. This fits in with the Juntas attempts to prevent the construction of illegal “population zones”. No news on whether or not you could sell that house in the future.
- The house, if dangerous, unviable or in public land (ie natural park, riverbed, etc) will be demolished without compensation.
The mayors have all expressed “satisfaction” with this solution, and it has been called the “light at the end of the tunnel” by the vicemayor of Albox. If the Plan General is ratified by the Andalucian Parliment on time (mid December) then the first surveys will start early 2009. It is expected that some 6000 houses will be surveyed in the Almanzora valley alone.
No word on what will happen to illegal houses in municipalities that lie outside of the Plan General, such as Vera – the Plan General only applies to municipalities that are specified and contain great numbers of illegal houses. I assume that what court cases are carrying on will continue.
(taken from La Voz de Almería, 12th Sept 2008)
Caparros will meet with AUNAN reps about demolishment of British homes
According to teleprensa.net Luis Caparros, the swine who knocked down the Priors house, built large scale electric pylons everywhere, gas pipes, approved the POTALA and generally ruined the area (and, by the way, got a promotion for it – he’s now the head of Housing and Territorial Organisation of Almeria) has promised, under intense media scrutiny, to meet with “los ingeses” (not all of them, just a “Janet & Frank Doel”) to reassure them that despite sending them a letter in June telling them to knock their house down “or the Junta would do it for them” their house is safe.
The house is in Cantoria and one of the many houses threatened with demolition by the Junta. Don’t forget this is the bloke who knocked down the Priors house, then authorised the construction of over 130000 houses right next door.
After intense media pressure (all Spanish) there has been much backtracking by Caparros, who now says that there was an initial mistake in locating the house and the house is in a legal position.
Frankly, I’m amazed nobody’s run the bastard over. He must be the only politician in Europe who doesn’t want his face in the papers.
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