The urban planning department received the court order last week and immediately began preparations. The only tenant who was still living in the apartments has left, and the complex has been fenced off. The local police are maintaining surveillance to ensure there is no attempt by squatters to occupy the apartments and to ensure that the demolition can go ahead without problems.
Work this week has consisted of removing aluminium shutters and furniture that was still inside the apartments. The company in charge of the demolition will then move in with the all the machinery. The demolition, the town hall says, is "imminent".
The licence to build the apartments on C. Tonyina was granted in summer of 2005 by the then mayor, Eugenio Hidalgo. Towards the end of 2006 he was arrested. He later served a prison term. Licences for development in Andratx had been given for land that was not classified for this purpose - the Monport development was another. There was corruption, and the Andratx case is often said to have created a domino effect that resulted in other convictions for corruption, such as that of the former president of the Balearics, Jaume Matas.
In the case of Cala Llamp, a court in Palma declared the licence null and void in September 2013. One cause of the delay to the demolition was an appeal lodged by owners in respect of the compensation valuation; they had bought the apartments in good faith.
The demolition and removal of debris are expected to take eight weeks.
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As there is a shortage of housing in Mallorca. To demolish these Apartments on an autocratic principle of illegality, is shameful.