Unsafe buildings to be demolished

Buildings which do not comply with safety conditions or a series of “aesthetic factors” will be demolished or refurbished under an agreement signed yesterday by Maria Antonia Munar, president of the council of Majorca, with a series of entities. The agreement was signed with Antoni Ramis, president of the College of Architects of the Balearics; Pere Ollers, president of ARCA, the association which protects the heritage and Margarita Nájera, president of the Federation of Local Entities (FELIB). Ramis said that the agreement was interesting because “up to now, architects have been drawing up catalogues of buildings which should be protected and now we will have to make a negative catalogue, that is, one of buildings which deserve to disappear from sight.” Ollers said that the list of buildings which may arise as a result of the agreement do not have to be black spots, but would also include buildings which can be renovated. Munar said that Majoran buildings “should comply with conditions of safety but also aesthetically, in the line of quality tourism.” She added that to achieve this, it was not enough just to care for buildings, but make sure that those which did not comply were demolished. Under the agreement, telephone and electricity lines can be removed, as well as cables of old military installations such as those which cross the road in the port of Alcudia. Actions like that will do a lot to improve the scenery, Munar said. Buildings which are in a state of ruin will be demolished through another agreement with the Balearic government and town and village councils which will be signed shortly. Most of the demolitions are expected to take part in rustic land. The situation in Palma is more complicated and the Council will be unable to carry out all the inspections into safety conditions it would like to.