The local administration in Mijas has announced that it will be opening an office to deal specifically with the problem of buildings which have fallen foul of town planning regulations and are now considered to be “irregular”. The office will be in Mijas Pueblo, though not in the Town Hall itself, and will be staffed by legal and administrative experts whose mission will be to create a framework for changes in the law and to carry out any procedures needed to enable property owners to legalise their homes.

Announcing the decision to open this office, Town Planning Councillor Manuel Navarro said that it would be given two years to create the necessary legal framework and to propose changes which need to be made the PGOU (Urban Development Plan) with regard to land not zoned for construction. Once that is done, “it could start the procedure to legalise individual properties.”

The local government’s idea is that all owners who want to legalise their properties should pay whatever tax is due “just like owners who bought apartments in Las Lagunas have done, because the price includes part of the cost of urbanisations or of permits”.

The Town Hall also intends to hold meetings in July with the Planning and Environment delegates from the regional government, the Junta de Andalucía, to try and reach an agreement which would accelerate the process. According to Navarro, the Town Hall is hopeful that it will obtain the support of the regional government, “as we are not trying to make a profit, just solve a problem”.

The council s also considering presenting a motion, before the end of July, proposing the suspension of all disciplinary actions against the owners of irregular properties.

Source: Sur in English June 24th to 30th, Author: Mari Carmen Jaime

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