Pollensa town hall had rather hoped that these restrictions might have been introduced earlier. Had they been, then images of road congestion (aka saturation) wouldn't have fed into the grand tourism sustainability debate that the government initiated largely because of this congestion. But the traffic directorate said no - June 1 it would again be. It may change its mind for next year, as the discussions about the restrictions are ongoing, just as everything else in Formentor can appear to be ongoing as it is in a constant state of flux.
At least there is some certainty, and this concerns the beach - in Formentor there are beach services. Otherwise, it is difficult not to form the impression that the town hall has rather messed things up with respect to the municipality's beach services this year.
The ultimate authority for beaches - the government's coasts department in this instance rather than the Costas Authority - is easily blamed when things of a beach services' matter of awry. But the town hall has admitted it was a tad late in sending off the relevant request for renewal of authorisation, while the failure of the tender for other beaches (Cala San Vicente and Puerto Pollensa) would seem to owe at least something to the charges that contractors are expected to pay.
Or should one say - the contractor? The residents association in Puerto Pollensa seems to be the only available contractor, as it has been for some four decades. So established is it that it employs people on 'fijo discontinuo' contracts, who expect to be called back to work each season. As this hasn't happened yet, the workers could find themselves being furloughed.
But Formentor has its services and so the occupants of those cars that manage to make it as far as the car park will be delighted to learn that they can lounge in comfort. To be honest, one wonders why people bother with cars. There is the bus service, and with any luck people will be able to get on the buses this year, as two will depart at the same time. Finding somewhere to park in Puerto Pollensa can admittedly be another issue.
For the cars that get to the car park, they will be greeted by new management. The town hall has finally taken over the operation of the car park, having been engaged in a dispute with the hotel as to who has rights to it. However, this remains an ongoing matter, as the courts haven't definitively resolved the case. Meanwhile, and to the further delight of Formentor private-car travellers, the car park will, for the time being, be free. The hotel had a payment system in place. That has gone. The town hall doesn't have one. Moreover, regulations don't allow it to implement a payment system. But a contractor can do this. The town hall would then charge the contractor an annual fee. Rather like for the beaches. Or maybe the town hall could just make the hotel the contractor; it's got the kit.
The hotel owners, let's face it, could do with some income, even if a car park (approximately one million euros a year) would provide paltry revenue by comparison with that from a hotel with some of the highest-priced rooms anywhere in Mallorca once it eventually reopens. Which won't be June, as had been planned. It will be August, Emin Capital claiming that this latest delay is down to town hall tardiness with granting the final licence for works - these being for the gardens.
But licence there was and so it's all been sorted. Yes, but there is the issue with the land that the environmentalists GOB maintain has been closed off illegally by the hotel as it is public land. In a statement, the town hall somewhat wearily said that it was investigating to check on the veracity of GOB's complaints. You couldn't really blame them for being weary. Everyone else has grown tired of the hotel saga.
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Adding insult to injury the hotel promotional photos reveal a room suspiciously similar to what you’d expect to get in a budget offering such as Travel lodge or Premier Inn. What have they done?