- Andalucia
- Almeria
- Cadiz
- Cordoba
- Granada
- Huelva
- Jaen
- Malaga
- Sevilla
- National
- Gibraltar
- Features
- Business & Finance
- Crime
- Food & Drink
- Entertainment
- Environment
- Health
- Nature
- News Features
- Property
- Sport
- Travel
- Blogs
- Caitlyn Slivinski
- Carolyn Emmett
- Charlotte Hanson
- Craig Scott
- Hannah's España
- John Woodhead
- Paul Whitelock
- Andalucia Property Search
- Almeria
- Cadiz
- Cordoba
- Granada
- Malaga
- Murcia
- Sevilla
- Advertise
- News Archives
Green Guide-
Malaga
7°C, Fair
H: 14°C | L: 2°C -
Granada
-1°C, Fair
H: 8°C | L: -4°C -
Almeria
6°C, Fair/Windy
H: 12°C | L: 3°C -
Seville
3°C, Fair
H: 13°C | L: -2°C
Owner of illegal Medina Azahara home acquitted
December 16, 2007 • Cordoba • 0 Comments
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...Man absolved after adding extension and pool to illegal home on proposed World Heritage site
JUDGES in Córdoba have acquitted the owner of one of the 240 illegal homes on the protected Medina Azahara site for extending the property even though it faces demolition.
The defendant, who built a swimming pool and an extra room at his house at the Las Pitas development, was facing two years imprisonment as well as a 3,240 euro fine.
Even though the entire housing complex had been constructed on protected land, the owner of the house proceeded to extend it by 25 square metres and build a pool in the garden in 2006.
But on December 7, magistrate José Antonio Carnerero ruled that no punishment should be imposed, despite acknowledging the illegal conduct of the accused.
Carnerero pointed out that the entire development is “illegal, but built with the consent of the authorities.”
Carnerero had already absolved one owner of an illegal Medina Azahara property and is set to try five others in the near future.
The magistrate blamed the existence of the illegal homes on the incompetence of the local administrations, stating “the widespread lack of adherence to town planning laws and the lack of effectiveness within the council should not result in the criminalization of all.”
Reader Comments »
Messages will be moderated or deleted if they:
• Are considered likely to disrupt, provoke, attack or offend others
• Are racist, sexist, homophobic, sexually explicit, abusive or otherwise objectionable
• Contain swear words or other language likely to offend
• Break the law or condone or encourage unlawful activity. This includes breach of copyright, defamation and contempt of court
• Advertise products or services for profit or gain
• Are seen to impersonate someone else
• Include contact details such as phone numbers, postal or email addresses
• Describe or encourage activities which could endanger the safety or well-being of others
LATEST NEWS FROM THE OLIVE PRESS
- Free handouts at Iceland Puerto Banus
- Spanish princess in the dock
- Nijar town hall joins with owners of Cortijo del Fraile to save farmhouse which inspired Lorca’s Blood Wedding
- Noisy delay
- Measles surge leads to calls for earlier vaccinations
- Alberto Contador stripped of Tour de France title
- Oscars ole for Spain
- Taxing times for Gibraltar
- Rubalcaba to lead Spanish Socialists
- Greece remains the focus in the euro zone
LATEST COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
- Katie Sims on Cool mountain lamb and sizzling sweet peppers
- Paul Whitelock on Formula One racing stars on the charge in Andalucia
- Stephen Byrne on Nijar town hall joins with owners of Cortijo del Fraile to save farmhouse which inspired Lorca’s Blood Wedding
- Stuart Crawford on Cool mountain lamb and sizzling sweet peppers
- Stuart Crawford on Greece remains the focus in the euro zone
- Stuart Crawford on Kicking off to kick the habit in Spain
- Stuart Crawford on Rubalcaba to lead Spanish Socialists
- stefanjo on Pujerra forest fire
- stefanjo on Measles surge leads to calls for earlier vaccinations
- D. Liver on Bike happy
Related Articles »
Illegal homes… authorities focus on seven worst offenders
November 27, 2008 | Andalucia
THE Junta is to launch in-depth investigations into illegal building in seven key areas. A team of 36 inspectors will undertake a full inventory of all illegal houses in the Axarquia region, the Vejer area of the Costa de la Luz and around Medina Azahara in Cordoba. Offices will be set up and the criteria [...]
Illegal Spanish home: British couple jailed and ordered to demolish it
January 18, 2011 | Andalucia Property
Expat couple found guilty of building on non-buildable land have been given an eight month prison sentence and ordered to demolish their home
Alhaurin councillor in court over illegal home
October 23, 2011 | Andalucia Malaga
Cristobal Bonilla accused of building a three-bedroom house with a swimming pool on protected land
UNESCO affiliate demands disappearance of illegal urbanisations
December 16, 2007 | Cordoba
A damning report from a UNESCO advisory body has demanded that the 240 illegal houses on the protected Medina Azahara site in Córdoba should “be demolished.”
What lies beneath
December 16, 2007 | Cordoba
Córdoba’s Medina Azahara holds many more secrets of the first Islamic rule of Spain
Land Bagged
October 17, 2008 | Andalucia
Junta to protect Medina Azahara and other important sites by buying up the area around it THE Andalucian authorities have come up with a novel way to stop illegal building: Buy up the land. The Junta has slapped compulsory purchase orders on 29 plots near the key historic site of Medina Azahara, near Cordoba. In [...]