Building legislation set to be approved next Tuesday

The Council of Majorca is set to approve its key legislation on building at an extraordinary plenary session which will be held next Tuesday. This was announced yesterday by Rafael de Lacy of the UM (Majorcan Union), head of the Council's planning department. He had talks yesterday with the spokesmen of the other parties on the Council (Majorcan Socialist Party, Socialist Party of the Balearics and United Left-the Greens) to discuss details of the moratorium, which was initially approved last July, and to explain the objections which had been lodged. De Lacy said that the final legislation would take into account some of the 30-odd objections lodged, such as the exemption of specific buildings for the disabled and the construction of blocks of flats on urban land. He said that there were no problems from a technical aspect, although some details on planning regulation which will continue until a Master Plan is approved are still being discussed with Balearic public works minister Francesc Quetglas. Regarding the moratorium approved by the government, De Lacy said that he did not know if it would be approved or would fall by the wayside. It is possible that the final legislation approved by the Council of Majorca will cover some of the government's pretentions, although De Lacy did not confirm this. Yesterday's meeting with the party spokesmen went some way to unblock the lack of dialogue among the various parties, as up to now, talks about the two moratoria were between the UM and the governemnt. Although no agreements were reached, apart from the date of the plenary session, most of the parties were satisfied with the results. In the meantime, government leader Francesc Antich had talks with the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera, Miquel Lladó, and told him that the government would approve a series of public works in the islands to paliate the drop in activity in the construction sector this year and next. Antich said that the solution was not to continue growing and building in an unsustainable way which is opposed to the Balearics' chief industry, tourism, and also affects the quality of life and the environment. He said it was necessary to seek balanced formula and draw up joint policies with businessmen as his coalition government favours another type of growth which is more easily sustained. The projects will include roads, renovations of buildings, school construction and reforms, and health centres. Both Antich and Lladó agreed there was no crisis but a slow-down in economic growth.