25/04/2013 00:00
TW
0

GERMAN tennis ace Boris Becker has had another setback in his fight to save his home in the municipality of Arta, which has been plagued with planning problems right from the start. In the latest chapter of the saga, the Council of Majorca's planning department will not legalise the extention to the luxury home.
It is expected to meet today and agree to send all the paperwork back to the Arta council so that it can correct a series of errors in form.
Bartomeu Vicens, head of the Council of Majorca's planning department, said yesterday that it had been impossible to study the council proposal, seeking legalisation of the work, because it was so confusing, with a plethora of plans and documents. He did hold out some hope, however, indicating that the Council had no problems about legalising the extention built by Becker, providing the town council can accredit the fact that the building extention can be legalised. However, he said that as the petition stands, it is so confusing that it is impossible to determine whether or not Becker has complied with all the necessary conditions. As a result, the file will be returned to the Arta council, which will be asked to inspect the site and certify exactly what work has been carried out, and what should have been done according to the plans. Vicens went to great pains to point out that the paperwork submitted to his department did not clearly say what work had been done, where the extention had been constructed and which part of it could be legalised. In addition to that, it has not been determined whether or not the work that has been done is in keeping with the building licence which was granted.
Finally, Vicens said, the file does not indicate whether or not Becker complied with an order to suspend construction.
He said that the Council was unable to determine if the tennis ace had disobeyed the order and continued with work, or if the town council did not warn him that he had to stop the construction of the extention while the matter was debated.
Vicens explained
Council has asked for
Becker's fine to be cut to five percent of original sum “with the information sent to us by the town council the Council does not know what work has been carried out, what licences the promoter had or whether the order to stop work was obeyed or not.” Vicens also said that along with the file seeking legalisation, the council asked for a reduction in the fine imposed on Becker for illegal construction. The fine came to nearly 439'000 euros, and the council wants it reduced to just five percent of this amount. But, said Vicens, the request is presented without any kind of justification.