Alex Trelinski
ALICANTE’S plans to assume control to inspect, sanction, and collect fines for illegal tourist flats have been delayed because it hasn’t got enough inspectors.
The city’s Urban Planning councillor, Rocio Gomez, admitted during a plenary council meeting on Thursday that transferring regional powers to Alicante will take extra time but didn’t specify how much.
She said an inspection department is being created before a request is sent to take over the full policing of holiday accommodation.
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Benidorm and Valencia City Councils have already implemented transfers meaning fines go into local coffers rather than to the regional government.
Gomez claimed the bonus of having extra inspectors will mean better urban planning scrutiny of work being carried out across the municipality.
Nearly three-quarters of Alicante’s tourist flats are not registered according to a city council report published in January.
Up to 20% of homes in districts like the Old Town, San Juan beach, and the city centre are taken up by holiday accommodation.
Alicante approved a two-year moratorium on issuing new tourist licenses last December.
Over the period, each district of the city will be studied to establish an appropriate number of holiday homes for a neighbourhood.
