Accused of illegal conversion of a laundry pool into a swimming pool

A court in Palma has heard from Guardia Civil officers and municipal inspectors who examined work carried out on an open-air laundry at the property, which is covered by provisions of the Tramuntana Mountains plan for the management of natural resources. They reported finding evidence of construction and the installation of elements beyond those required for a laundry pool, suggesting that a swimming pool was being built.

The defendants denied that they had carried out work over and above the town hall licence for improvement to the laundry. Regarding some of the work, PVC pipes were installed to allow the water to be oxygenated. The architect pointed out that the municipal permit enabled him to build a facility of twenty square metres. He had in fact decided to make it smaller, given stability problems because of its location in a mountainous area. Work to the terrace maintained this as it had been.

The owner stressed that, when he bought the property, he requested a town hall licence for work to repair the laundry, which already existed and was legal.

Work was halted when criminal proceedings started.