The Balearic Government passes the urban moratorium

The Govern de les Illes Balears, in the cabinet meeting, passed on August 3 a temporary norm with a view to assuring the contention of urban growth contemplated in the new Territorial Planning Directives (DOT), the project that is instigated by the local department for Public Works, Homes and Transport.

The decree passed regulates the growth of the capacity of accommodation in the municipalities, both in urbanisable and rustic land. The town councils will only be able to allow, in urban or urbanisable land, a percentage of licences in relation to the capacity of accommodation of each municipality, that has been established in 3% for 2001, 2% in 2002 and 1% in 2003 and following years. The only foreseen exceptions are the official protection homes, rehabilitations that do not increase the number of places, and public use of the land.

In connection to rustic land, the councils will only be able to give a maximum number of licences, taking as a reference those permitted in the first six months of 2001, which was the lowest in recent years. For 2002 and 2003 double the amount of licences based on this fixed reference can be given.

The new temporary norm, that will be valid until the DOT are approved in 2003, or the Insular Territorial Plans, completes the packed of territorial initiatives presented by the Balearic councillor for Public Works, Josep Antoni Ferrer. These are the new Land Law, the revision of the DOT, the decree for the programming of building licences and the cancellation of the Golf Club Law.

In the case of Mallorca, the Govern's moratorium complements the norma cautelar approved on July 26, 2001 by the Consell de Mallorca to ensure the viability and effect of the Pla territorial insular de Mallorca, as this latter only affected the urban and urbanisable land. In the case of Menorca, it must be born in mind that on October 16, 2000 the Consell de Menorca passed a moratoria to ensure the viability and effect of the Pla territorial insular de Menorca, that affects the urban and urbanisable land and contemplates the complete suspension of urban licences in rustic land. As far as Eivissa and Formentera, it must also be born in mind that on October 26, 2000 the Consell d'Eivissa i Formentera passed a temporary territorial norm (see norm in PDF format) for the urban and urbanisable land and on some areas of rustic land. In view of conflicts that could arise from the different norms, the most restrictive prevails.

More information:
- Norma territorial cautelar de la modificació de les DOT - Govern Balear (in word format)
- Avantprojecte de la llei reguladora de l'ordenació urbanística de les Illes Balears - Govern Balear (in word format)
- Avantprojecte de llei de modificació de la llei de directrius d'ordenació territorial i de mesures tributaries - Govern Balear (in word format)

Photo © Archive BalearWeb: Consolat de Mar, Govern de les Illes Balears

Date of publication: 04/08/2001

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