Walter Finch
PROTESTORS are set to take to the streets of Mallorca this weekend as fury mounts over a new law that could see the island’s countryside bulldozed for housing developments.
The controversial legislation would allow developers to build on rural land that has been protected for decades, potentially transforming olive groves, almond orchards and natural areas into new luxury developments and holiday complexes.
Critics say the law will trigger a fresh wave of property speculation that will make housing even more expensive for locals while destroying the very landscapes that make the island attractive to tourists in the first place.
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The changes, pushed through by the conservative PP-Vox coalition government, come as Mallorcans are already struggling with soaring rents and house prices driven by mass tourism and foreign investment.
Environmental groups have branded the legislation a ‘territorial, social and ecological bomb’ and are organising a major protest for July 7 under the rallying cry Stop this speculative operation and Less tourism, more life.
Put simply, the law would allow councils to redesignate protected countryside as building land, opening the door to development in areas that have been off-limits for construction.
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The biggest towns and cities across Mallorca would be affected, including Palma, Calvià, Marratxí, Llucmajor, Alcúdia, Inca and Manacor.
The government claims the law is needed to tackle the islands’ housing crisis, but opponents say it will simply line the pockets of property developers while making homes even more expensive for ordinary families.
The timing of the protest, just days before the law faces a crucial vote in the Balearic Parliament, reflects the urgency felt by opposition groups who fear the legislation could fundamentally alter their island home.
The technical details reveal the extent of the proposed changes.
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The law would reclassify so-called ‘transition zones’ – rural land currently protected from development – into areas eligible for housing projects, but only in municipalities with populations exceeding 20,000.
The PP-Vox coalition, which came to power through a controversial pact, has made economic development a priority, with regional housing minister José Luis Mateo defending the proposals as essential intervention in the face of a ‘residential emergency.’
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if house prices are driven by a lack of supply, then not building will drive prices higher.