Malaga's tourist flat and hotel moratorium halted by legal report

Tourism

The city council has raised objections to the amendment to the PGOU the urban planning department has been working on

Jesús Hinojosa

Mayor Francisco de la Torre is struggling to achieve his goal of limiting the construction of tourist flats and hotels under four stars in Malaga.

For months, the municipal urban planning department has been working on an amendment to the general urban development plan (PGOU) to allow for the regulation of tourist uses in the city.

Currently, the PGOU considers accommodation as an alternative use for residential plots. Therefore, there is no limit on the construction of tourist flat complexes and hotels on vacant lots, provided they have independent access.

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  • the amendment that would temporarily suspend permits for more tourist flats and hotels under four stars.

    According to sources, the secretariat had already opposed the urban planning department's proposal in the file that aimed to regulate the conversion of ground-floor premises into residential units. Following these initial objections, the urban planning department adapted the document it was working on to take into account the feedback.

    After that initial review, the file was sent back to the secretariat, with the aim of receiving initial approval this Tuesday. However, the urban planning department is now facing more objections.

    For the time being, it is unclear when the proposed amendment to the PGOU regulations might receive the secretariat and legal services' approval. In principle, the secretariat is no longer required to provide further information on this matter and it is now up to the urban planning department to make the necessary adjustments to comply with the recommendations from the city council's legal department.

    Finalising the file in the coming days is still possible, since De la Torre's intention remains to put a stop to the proliferation of tourist flats and lower category hotels: a phenomenon that authorities, including the association of architects, consider one of the causes of the current housing crisis.

    The urban planning department's current aim is to halt this proliferation and not that of the conversion of commercial ground-floor premises into housing units. The local ruling team believes that such conversions provide housing to people who cannot find a home in the current crisis.

    The approval of this draft amendment does not imply the immediate suspension of new permits for tourist flats and lower-category hotels. What will be approved is the proposed change to the regulations of the PGOU, which will then be sent to the opposition political groups so they can submit opinions.

    In order for the proposal to go ahead, it must receive the votes of the full council.

    This initial approval will establish what projects the temporary suspension of new permits will impact and how long it will remain in effect.

    Explore all news about the housing crisis in Malaga city