Council of Majorca orders demolition

The Council of Majorca has ordered the animal refuge promoted by the Fundación Arca de Noé in a protected area close to Sant Elm to be demolished. In two resolutions passed by the Council of Majorca on April 24, the shelter has to be demolished, and a fine of 17.7 million pesetas is imposed on the promoter of the initiative, Helga Knies, and the construction company Construcciones Sambe SL. In both cases, the Council says that a “serious“ infringement of the planning regulations has been proved, as work had been started without a licence. The technical directors of the building were not fined “as their intervention in the execution of the work has not been sufficiently accredited,” the Council ruling said. The Fundación Arca de Noé, presided by Helga Knies, promoted the creation of an animal refuge in the protected area of Font des Morers, near Sant Elm. Neighbours appealed and the court ruled that the licence granted by the Andratx council was not correct. It also said that the work carried out was not adapted to the permit issued by the council. Jaume Bosch, the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers) spokesman on the Andratx council, said on hearing of the Council's ruling, “once again, a complaint of infringement of planning regulations made by the opposition has proved to be correct.” He added that all the illegal works his party had denounced had been ratified by the courts or by the council. He also claimed that many licences for building on rustic land had been awarded incorrectly.