Balearic building freeze being rushed through Insular Councils

AMIDST the clouds of dust and smoke which were belched into the skies near Fornalutx as the Monnabar Hotel was demolished yesterday morning, President of the Insular Council of Majorca, Maria Antonia Munar, said that the Council will approve a building freeze for Majorca, similar to the moratorium passed in Minorca the day before yesterday. At the moment, there is a moratorium in Majorca, which was introduced by the previous PP government, restricting the construction of hotels, but Munar favours introducing a wide-ranging freeze corresponding to commercial and private urban or rural building projects. Her announcement was unexpected and the proposal was put before the weekly Insular Council meeting yesterday afternoon, despite not being down for debate. Munar said yesterday morning she was confident the Insular Council will approve a new moratorium with a “large majority” saying that enough talking has been done about a moratorium and that now it is time for strict building controls to be introduced. Yesterday the Insular Council of Ibiza and Formentera approved a similar building freeze which was met by stiff opposition from the construction industry. A group of around 150 members of the Ibizan constructors association demonstrated outside the Insular Council calling for a “beautiful Ibiza but not at the cost of a few.” Construction companies fear that the moratorium will have a serious effect on business and are angry that they are the ones being made to pay for the changes in the law. The moratorium in Minorca has already had a drastic effect with only those construction projects for public or agricultural buildings allowed to go ahead for the time being, the rest have been suspended.