Marbella - Hand Over Responsibility!

From now on, Marbella’s town council will not only be deprived of the right to control planning issues, but it will also be banned from obtaining direct financial benefit from town planning agreements. The Andalusian government hopes that the measure will bring back legality and planning security to a notoriously unsettled sector, after more than a decade of controversy and wrangling. The question still remains though, in the minds of both supporters and detractors of this move, as to whether it can really put an end to a very difficult situation and restore confidence in the local economy.

The Junta has said in a statement, that the withdrawal of town planning from the Marbella Town Hall should guarantee security for promoters, banks and the residents of homes in the town. Regional Councillor for Public Works, Concepción Gutiérrez, said that legality was being re-established in the municipality. Mayor of the town, Marisol Yague, has called on Manuel Chaves to show exactly how she has broken the law, and claims to have only authorised 400 homes, compared to the 13,000 authorised during the GIL era. She has also called for the Junta to take similar action in both Estepona and Mijas. It’s known that the Junta has challenged as many as 6,000 homes in Marbella since Yagüe came to power. The situation is doing nothing to help the Town Hall finances, with 90% of its income from town planning now lost.