7 Jul, 2025 @ 18:15
1 min read

Controversial law allows new property builds on rural land ‘reserves’ in Balearic Islands

Controversial new law allows properties to be built on rural land in Balearic Islands

THE Balearic Islands parliament has approved a controversial new law that will allow rural land to be used for new homes.

It has also pardons illegal constructions on protected land in the Serra de Tramuntana before 1991 when the Law of Natural Spaces went onto the statute book.

The Partido Popular and Vox parties backed the legislation at a plenary session in Palma on Monday.

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SERRA DE TRAMUNTANA BUILDINGS

They said it is needed because of a lack of affordable housing in the Balearics.

The regulation will allow municipal land reserves to be reclassified to construct properties in municipalities of 20,000 people or more.

That is despite an area having developable land that has yet to be exploited.

Up to the new law, rural land reserves could only be accessed if all of the existing developable land had been used up.

It however will be up to individual municipalities to decide whether or not to go down this route with approval at a council plenary meeting.

There will also be quotas for social housing.

Around 200 people gathered outside the Palma chamber to protest against the move with banners proclaiming that ‘Mallorca is not for sale’.

The Minister of Housing, Jose Luis Mateo, said the law will allow the construction of ‘affordable’ housing tailored to the needs of the community.

In a riposte to left-wing opponents on Monday, he said: “Where you allowed luxury neighbourhoods or groups of caravans and illegal settlements to proliferate, we have put in tools to make housing for families and young people.”

Vox deputy Sergio Rodríguez slammed opposition parties for giving the impression to people that ‘skyscrapers are going to be built in the mountains’.

Another controversial aspect of the law is the amnesty for all illegal constructions in the Serra de Tramuntana prior to 1991.

Up to now, such buildings could not be regularised because the area was part of a 1972 decree that declared the mountain range as a picturesque landscape and guaranteed its protection.

The new Balearics law means that such constructions can no longer be subject to demolition.

Click here to read more Balearic Islands News from The Olive Press.

Alex Trelinski

Alex worked for 30 years for the BBC as a presenter, producer and manager. He covered a variety of areas specialising in sport, news and politics. After moving to the Costa Blanca over a decade ago, he edited a newspaper for 5 years and worked on local radio.

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