Rincon de la Victoria - Beach Improvements

Rincon de la Victoria Council is planning to spend nearly half a million euros on improvements to the municipality's eight kilometres of beaches for this summer. 80% of the 491,680 euro cost is being funded by the Junta de Andalucia, and the money will be used to create new green zones, provide more sports facilities, place more rubbish containers, lay artificial paths across the sand, install three new watch-towers, and put up various signs. A new access for disabled people will also be created, and a beach cleaning machine is to be acquired. Part of the money will also be spent on an outdoor cinema in El Tajo district.

Spain - ‘Expert’ Opinions On Property Market

Jaime Caruana - Governor of the Bank of Spain - has suggested reforming Spain's land laws to reduce the pressure on property prices caused by speculation with development land. Caruana also noted that, for the time being, Spanish households are still not struggling to meet their mortgage repayments, despite the recent increases in Euribor. Spain's Foundation of Savings Banks (Funcas) has forecast that Spanish property price inflation will decline gradually, and that there will be no 'hard landing' in the absence of a serious external shock leading to an enormous increase in interest rates. Analistas Financieros Internacionales (AFI), for its part, states that the property-related risks to the economy are moderate, whilst expecting property prices to continue increasing due to strong demand.

Alhaurín de la Torre - More Illegal Building Work

Alhaurín de la Torre Council has ordered the demolition of buildings on a plot in the Pinos de Alhaurín urbanisation, as the construction is being carried out without a municipal licence and on a site which is too small. Inspectors discovered that six apartments were being built, the main residence was being enlarged, and a barbecue area and paddle tennis court have been created, all on a 2,487 square metre plot. The construction contravenes several town planning regulations, and after imposing a fine of 163,448 euros on the developer and builder, the local authority decided that the illegal buildings should be demolished. By that time, the property had changed hands and the new owners appealed against the decision, but were turned down and are likely to be given one month to carry out the demolition.

Benalmádena - Is Apartment Block Illegal?

The Partido Popular in Benalmádena is claiming that a block of luxury holiday apartments which is being built in Los Maites area of Benalmádena Costa is bigger than regulations permit. The political party has written to the mayor, Enrique Bolín, asking him to suspend the works while the matter is investigated, as they believe the construction takes up 75% of the site instead of the 50% which is permitted under the Urban Plan. The PP also says the land is designated for hotel use under the Urban Plan, but the apartments are being sold to private individuals. The group has also sent a letter to José María Ruiz Povedano, the provincial Public Works delegate, to inform him of the situation.

Sources at the Town Hall have indicated that there is nothing to worry about, however, as the project is legal. They say it was approved by the Junta de Andalucía under the revision of the Urban Plan in 2003, and that there is no conflict of interest between holiday apartments and hotel use.

Andalucía - Land Development Plan

The Junta de Andalucía's 'Plan de Ordenación Territorial' (P.O.T), which will regulate development on the Costa del Sol in the future, is to go ahead after receiving thirteen votes in favour. The Plan will be given the green light by the provincial Town Planning department on Monday as the first step to its definitive approval by the regional government, but some local councils believe they were not given a big enough say in drawing up the plans.

Mijas, Estepona, Ojén and Casares all voted against it because they believe it may interfere with their future plans, and Marbella, Istán and Fuengirola abstained. Mijas and Estepona councils agreed that the P.O.T. will be beneficial in terms of protecting land and are pleased with some of its contents, but Antonio Barrientos, the mayor of Estepona, is also concerned that it will restrict development in his municipality. Only Benahavís and Manilva gave the plan direct support, but despite the lack of enthusiasm by some councils, it was passed by the votes in favour of members of other official bodies.

Marbella Town Hall - No-One Is Immune!

The official taping up of illegal building works in Marbella now affects more than 400 homes under construction in the town. The management committee says it will start to issue new construction licences from next week. Meanwhile the Partido Popular has claimed that more than 600 shops in the town are trading illegally, most of them without an opening licence. PP leader in Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, said a solution must be found for the hundreds of workers who want answers. Meanwhile Tele 5 television has reported that the community of residents in Los Monteros are claiming that the Junta de Andalucia is showing favouritism to one of their residents, Antonio Banderas. They say the Junta has not ordered the demolition of the Banderas home, which they consider to have been built illegally on coastal land.

Málaga Airport - Land Expropriation For Second Runway

Land equivalent to the area of 200 football pitches is to be expropriated for the construction of Málaga airport’s second runway. Airport operator Aena last week published a list of 527 properties covering two million square metres which it will have to acquire to make the long-demanded extra facility a reality. Amongst these are apartments, parking areas, cultivated and irrigated land, roads, railways and undeveloped countryside, most of which fall within the municipality of the city of Málaga. 60 businesses employing 200 workers, mainly in the car rental and parking sectors, will have to find new premises as a result.

A second runway will mean further expansion at the airport, which is already in the throes of major construction work. The new control tower went into service in 2002, and the new passenger terminal is expected to be operating by 2008. With a projected increase in passenger numbers from the present annual figure of 12 million to 23 million within a decade, Málaga is set to have an “airport city”, described by Aena as a facility with its own logistical and complementary services. The extra runway, expected to be operational by 2010, will allow the airport to increase landings and take-offs from 40 to 70 every hour.

La Jacaranda - Last Few Properties

La Jacaranda development is now close to completion and has only one villa and a few resales left. The promotion consists of 3/4 bedroom detached villas of approximately 350m2 including basement with a private garden and pool. They are exceptionally large with 5 different designs all finished to a very high standard. Features include: walled gardens with private entrance and entry system, private parking spaces or basement parking, automatic watering system in gardens, high quality fitted kitchens and bathrooms and alarm system with movement sensors.

Prices from 675,000€

Aguamarina – New Development

Aguamarina exclusive development of 75 apartments is located in Mazarrón – Murcia, only 300 metres from the beach. The urbanization consists of 2 bedroom apartments, all with parking space.

The complex is located in a privileged position, enjoying wonderful views to the sea, the mountains and to Mazarrón Bay, with excellent weather and more than 300 sunny days a year. The dwellings have superb views to the bay and have community swimming pool, jacuzzi, gardens and tennis courts.

Prices start from €170,000.

Residencial Mirabella – New Development

Residencial Mirabella development of 67 properties is located in Casares and consists of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and penthouses. Penthouses boast large roof terraces. The project will include landscaped gardens and communal swimming pools.

This new development is located in one of the best positions in the area, adjacent to the first 18 hole golf course and directly opposite the stunning new 6 star hotel and spa.

For those seeking the charm of the rustic inland villages of Andalucia, one of the original ´pueblo blancos´ can be found nearby – the village of Casares literally hangs off the cliff and affords remarkable views of the surrounding land and coastline.

Owners also have the benefit of a share option for the golf club. Specifications include air conditioning, marble floors, fully furnished kitchens, garage and storage room.

Price for townhouse: €222,000.

Los Barrios – New Road Link Opens

The link between the A-7 (old N-340) and the A-381 (new dual carriageway to Los Barrios and Jerez) is finally set to operate from May 19. The new junction will certainly make life easier for the nearly 47,000 vehicles that use the km 108 to 113 stretch of the A-7 each day. It will also make driving safer as an RACE report shows that Tarifa, Algeciras and San Roque are the most dangerous traffic zones in the area.

Alhaurín el Grande – Growth Continues

Manilva has approved a record budget for this year of over 53 million euros. It is anticipated that 20 million euros will be raised by agreements from developers and constructors; seven million will come from regional government grants plus 21 million in local taxes. The opposition has voted against it the budget but mayor Salvador Zotano, insisted that the figures had been carefully calculated.

Alhaurín de la Torre - Illegal Buildings To Be Demolished

Alhaurín de la Torre Town Hall has issued an order for the demolition of a series of buildings on the same piece of land in the Pinos de Alhaurín housing development because urban legal requirements have not been met.

Town Hall technical staff have ascertained that six apartments, covering 285 square metres, have been built; the main house on the land has been extended by 30 square metres and a 16 metre barbecue and a paddle tennis court measuring 200 square metres have also been built.

All the work has been carried out without the appropriate building licences on land measuring a total of 2,487 square metres and according to the town council, this constitutes “serious infringements” in terms of exceeding the number of residences permitted on the same piece of land; suitability of land for building and land boundaries.

Benalmádena – Mayor Rejects New Legislation

Benalmádena council is the latest to refuse to put into action the reduction of urbanism called for in the central government’s new land laws.

Benalmádena mayor, Enrique Bolín, rejected the petition by the Málaga land ordination commission to change the PGOU general plan to adapt it to the new regulations.

He presented documents recently to the commission that ‘find it has no legal foundation and it is not based on any legal argument’.

The regional government intends to impose, by hook or by crook, the new legislation in an attempt to stem the rising tide of urban development that is threatening to swamp the whole of the Costa del Sol in concrete.

The last person to resist this new land law was the ill-fated Marbella mayor Marisol Yague.

Almería – Housing Boost

A 1,200 square metre plot of land has been set apart for 11 units of affordable housing by Laujar de Andarax council.

The new homes to be built soon have already been allocated to their owners by Laujar council who announced the final selection to a packed out hall. The homes were awarded to both young families and older ones with priority given to those in most need.

Luis Caparros, councillor for public works and transport, said that with this project the department has allocated the last remaining area available for housing and asked the mayor Francisca Barragan “to acquire more such land”.

He asked for more financial support to fulfil the fourth Andalucian housing plan and also called for 30 per cent of all urban construction to be designated for affordable housing.

The cheaper housing will go for as little as 108,000 euros. Some of the new home-owners will also benefit from the council paying the original deposit for the mortgages.

Málaga - Construction Projects Creating Employment

Despite a recognised slow down in the rate of construction of homes on the Costa del Sol, large construction jobs in the province will create more than 60,000 jobs in the industry. In the near term there are as many as nine large construction projects, including the AVE high speed train, the new second ring road round the city, and the new toll motorway between Las Pedrizas and Torremolinos. Other projects include the airport expansion and the construction of the new justice courts.

Marbella – Buildings Will Be Demolished

The President of the Marbella Management Committee, which is running the town until the local elections next year, Diego Martín, told the EFE news agency on Saturday that he is convinced that there will be demolitions of some of the buildings constructed illegally in the town. It’s estimated that there are as many as 30,000 homes in Marbella which have been built illegally.

Meanwhile the Socialist party in Marbella have commented on the fact that one of the members of the town’s management committee, Rafael Duarte, has previously worked as a real estate advisor to the Mayor of Manilva, the ex Gil party member Pedro Tirado. Tirado is now on bail in the Ballena Blanca money laundering case in the town, following alleged deals linked to a finca in Manilva where the buildable area of a 1.3 million square metre site was allegedly changed in favour of a company linked to the mayor. Despite this the Socialists say he can stay on the Management Committee, despite calls from the PP for his resignation.

A previous PP member of the committee, Salvador Guerrero, was taken off the committee when it emerged his lawyers firm was defending two of those accused in the Operación Málaya corruption case. The Socialist claim that the difference between the two cases is that their candidate had a previous and not current relationship, and that has now ended. In fact Rafael Duarte has now been revealed to work as a Real Estate advisor also for the Junta de Andalucía, as well as for three different town halls on the Costa del Sol.

Costa del Sol - Training For Real Estate Judges

Twelve judges in Málaga are now receiving special training so they will be better prepared to deal with real estate planning and financial crimes as the boom in real estate development along the Costa del Sol is considered to have lead to many irregularities. President of the Provincial Court in Málaga, Javier Arroyo Fiestas, has admitted that the response of the local judiciary to the town planning irregularities in Marbella and elsewhere had been ‘somewhat slow, but effective’. He said this had been caused by certain ‘confusion’ as to what PGOU urban plan was the valid one for Marbella.

Residencial Aldea Marina - New Development

Residencial Aldea Marina new residential area features apartments and penthouses with two and three bedrooms in a private residential area, with gardens and swimming pool. The development is located in Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena, well-known for its natural and peaceful surroundings. It features wide-open spaces with gardens, swimming pools, sport and leisure facilities. The complex has stunning sea and mountain views.

Prices start from €233,193.

Mojon Hills Resort – New Phase

A new phase of Mojon Hills Resort consisting of 41 lovely villas and 150 apartments has been recently launched. This development is situated in the Bahia de Mazarron, Murcia and consists of two and three bedroom apartments, and 2 and 3 bedroom villas, all endowed with the best qualities and finishings. All dwellings enjoy panoramic views to the coast.

Facilities include installation of communal TV and telephone network with points in bedrooms and living room, model Simon 27 electrical switches in apartments and Simon 75 in villas, pre-installation for air conditioning in living-dining room and bedrooms.

A special microclimate, with more than 300 days of sun per year and an average annual temperature of 18ºC, makes the bay of Mazarron a privileged place to play golf and enjoy a wide range of other outdoor activities.

Puerto de Mazarron, Isla Plana, La Azohia and Bolnuevo are beaches which are well known for the peace and quiet of their surroundings; more than 35 km of clear-watered coastline, perpetuating a past which is commemorated by the remains of ancient civilizations, watched over by dolphins and whales.

Coín - Casapalma Highway

The Junta de Andalucía has contracted out a 13.2 million-euro project for the creation of a 5.4-kilometre rural highway between Coín and Casapalma. The road, which will link the A-366 to the A-357 motorway, will serve as a principal access route to the new Guadalhorce Valley regional hospital that is to be built in Casapalma area. Construction of the road is expected to take 20 months.

Murcia – New Desalination Plan

The spokesman for the regional government in Murcia, Fernando de la Cierva, has said today that with the approval for the construction of the new La Azohía e Isla Plana desalination plant in Cartagena, the Murcia region will soon be treating more water than either California or Israel! 25% of the desalinated water in Spain is created in Murcia and if that from Valencia is added the percentage rises to 50%. De la Cierva said that the regional government was also doing what it could to modernise the water infrastructure in the region and to carry out the recycling of water wherever possible.

Manilva – Disney Theme Park

The Disney Company has plans to open Europe’s first environmental theme park in Manilva. Both the local Town Hall and the multinational company hope that the educational theme park, which will take up 20,000 square metres of land, will be funded with private investment. The principle of the idea has support from the Junta de Andalucía’s education department, whose department head, Francisco Miguel Alvarez, said that, while nothing is concrete yet, ‘the four fundamental elements are a reality.’: the land area, the finance, the town planning requirements of the plot, and the Disney name.

Spain - Demonstration Against Rising House Prices

YOUNG people in Spain are planning a mass sit-down to complain about property prices. Fixed for 5.0pm on Sunday, May 14, the demonstration will affect every town in the country.

As one young internet agitator put it: “All we want is a home fit to live in, where we can start a family, without having to hand over half our income for the privilege.”

No particular interest group or political movement has initiated this protest. It appears to be a genuine groundswell of youthful opinion, galvanised through the modern electronic media.

And well might Spanish youngsters complain. The numbers make depressing reading. A study carried out by ‘Creditaria’, a major accountancy firm, has shown that the price of a tiny ‘starter flat’ is the equivalent of 9.3 years’ worth of salary for the average young couple. Government figures indicate that property prices in Spain have risen by just under 12 per cent in the past year – and this figure shows a significant downturn when compared with 2003 and 2004. In the first quarter of 2004, property prices were rocketing upwards at 18.4 per cent.

If that alarming figure has been reducing steadily, month on month, ever since, it must be borne in mind that the cost of getting into the property market is still continuing to rise – it’s simply climbing a little less rapidly. This week, the Spanish papers have been quoting 164 per cent as the 10-year benchmark for property value increase. A flat which cost 150,000 euros in 1996 would now retail at 246,000.

Costa Calida – National Park At Risk

Up to two million square metres of land will be handed over to builders in one of Spain’s most precious natural parks if a new ‘environmental’ plan is approved by Andalucía’s regional government.

Environmental activists at Greenpeace have warned that changes to the current Plan for the Arrangement of Natural Resources (Plan de Ordenación de los Recursos Naturales or PORN) will sound the death-knell for the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park. According to Greenpeace the Junta de Andalucía’s environment department has put forward proposals to lift protected status from 14 different areas covering two million square metres of land inside the park which lies on the coast between Mojácar and the city of Almería.

The move could see urbanisations built at the villages of Agua Amarga, Las Negras as well as the hamlets of Rodalquilar and La Isleta del Moro. Small close-knit communities which live off fishing and tourism could triple in size. Residents and ecological groups have made thousands of objections to the PORN which are currently being studied by the regional government.

María José Caballero, director of Greenpeace’s campaign for coast and oceans, told CB News this week that the Junta de Andalucía is trying to introduce the changes through the backdoor.

The natural park is home to extinct volcanoes, verdant flood-gorges filled with dwarf fan palms, cacti and esparto grass, multi-coloured cliffs of volcanic deposits and inaccessible beaches. Natural park status was granted to the area in 1987 in order to preserve this ‘living museum’. The park stretches from a point near Almería airport in the south as far as Carboneras in the north, near Mojácar.

Málaga - Can You Afford To Live There?

Malaga is the second most expensive city in Spain, according to the latest information on housing prices released by the government. A property in the provincial capital will set the purchaser back 2,145.5 euros a square metre, second only to Barcelona where the average price is 2,464.6 euros.

The Region of Valencia saw the greatest price increase: the inter-annual rate at the end of March there went up by 14.6%, putting the cost of a square metre at 1,547.4 euros. Andalucía’s increase of 14.1% was the second highest increase, where a square metre now costs an average of 1,587.4%.

Tolox –Population To Triple

The small village of Tolox, with just over 2,300 residents, is drawing up plans that could see its population triple in the next 10 years. Local officials are putting the final touches on the local development plan (PGOU), which in the next month or so will be submitted to the Junta de Andalucía for approval. In its draft form, the PGOU creates enough developable land for the construction of 2,000 homes, mostly in the zone near the entrance to the town along the A-7250 road. Local officials expect many of the homes will be purchased as holiday or part-time residences.

Town Hall planners say the new housing laid out in the PGOU will be low-density, with an average of around three of four homes per hectare. The plan also sets aside more land for the Sierra de las Nieves Park, adding 300 hectares of protected parkland. It also increases protection of land adjacent to the Río Grande. Municipal officials say the PGOU protects approximately 72 per cent of the town's overall land area.

The plan also calls for two new industrial parks, the larger, at 287,000 square metres, to be located near the Guaro border. The smaller one, 130,000 square metres in size, will be closer to town and will include retail showrooms, say officials.

Also included in the PGOU are plans aimed at capitalising on the tourism potential of the town's famed curative spring water. The plan envisions a 125-room luxury hotel-spa that would operate year-round, as opposed to the town's current 'balneario', which opens only June to October.

Spain - House Prices Still Holding Up!

House price growth has remained strong in Spain and investors continue to flock to the country with the intention of making considerable returns, both through rental income and capital gains. As reported by the Spain Herald this week, average house prices are now higher than €6,000 (£4,146) per square metre in nine cities in the country, reflecting the rate of house price inflation nationwide. Referring to figures from the Tecnitasa property valuation firm, the publication indicates that Sevilla, Oviedo and Zaragoza have now joined the elite list that already includes Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Marbella and Santander.

Given the number of exciting developments taking place in the area, it is encouraging to know that Murcia is among the cheapest cities in the country, with properties available at €600 per square metre. Many property investors are hugely enthusiastic about growth in Murcia, with nearby La Manga already drawing in huge interest from golfing groups and families. Property prices are high around La Manga and rentals are also impressive and many predict the same trends for Murcia.

According to Typically Spanish, there is also the Corvera International Airport to look forward to, which will be operational from 2009. Ramon Luis Valcarcel, president of Murcia, predicts it will be used by one and a half million passengers during its first year of operation and that numbers will triple in the short to mid-term. New airports inevitably cause a domino effect in terms of investment, as visitors and business contacts invest in the surrounding areas.

Along the same lines, Ryanair has announced nine new routes from its base in Frankfurt Germany. Of the two going to Spain, one is to Granada and the other is to Murcia. Yet again, it can only lead to an increased number of tourists which in turn will boost rental demand and the overall value of properties in the area.

Set on the glorious Costa Calida and just two hours from Madrid, Murcia boasts stunning landscapes and is also particularly known for the quality of the local produce. While green fees and the general cost of living at La Manga are extremely high, the golf courses around Murcia remain fairly cheap, as are the properties that have been built around them.

With experts expecting the area to boom in the coming years, investors are already snapping up properties and the new routes and airport will only add to this high level of attention.

Bellavista de Cortes – New Development

Bellavista de Cortes new complex is located in Cortes de la Frontera and consists of 64 lovely apartments of 1 and 2 bedroom apartments which include 2 swimming pools, huge sunny terraces, automatic garage door, satellite dish, elevator, and computer connections. All apartments are constructed with top quality specifications.

This development has stunning views to the Grazalema Natural Park.

Prices start from €91,000.

Aldea Rocio – New Phase

A new phase of Aldea Rocio consisting of 90 lovely townhouses has been recently launched. This complex is situated in Los Barrios, and consists of 3 and 4 bedroom townhouses with private garages for 2 cars and direct access to the house, Jacuzzi in main bath, private garden, alarm, safe and phone entry. The complex has more than 500 m2 of communal area with two swimming pools, two paddle courts and children’s play area.

Los Barrios is an interesting small town in the Campo de Gibraltar, between Algeciras and Sotogrande. A place where tranquillity, rest and calm live together; where sound, light and colour are an emotion, where the whites and blues treasure the light and rumour of the ocean on the horizon.

Prices start from €205,500.