The reconstruction and expansion of the Hotel Formentor in Pollensa has been given approval by the Council of Mallorca's tourism department. This had been necessary because of the transfer of responsibilities to the Council by the Balearic tourism ministry, which had previously given its approval.
In giving its approval, the department refers to "complementary documentation consisting of a demolition project" but makes clear that this is not something that the department has the responsibility to assess. It does not in itself alter the conclusion of the previous report regarding reconstruction of the main hotel building in addition to extensions.
These extensions apply to the hotel grounds. They include, for instance, a spa and are in accordance with the Balearic government's emergency measures to boost the economy that were announced early in the pandemic. The new hotel will have slightly fewer rooms than the original but the same number of places - 249 - and won't occupy more land.
On Friday, Pollensa town hall's deputy mayor for urban planning, Tomeu Cifre, said that following the approval by the tourism department, the owners have requested the licence for modification, "which is pending assessment by our technical services". This refers to the fact that the whole building is being demolished, which hadn't been the intention but has been deemed necessary because of, as Cifre has previously explained, structural problems with the original building.
He added: "There shouldn't be any problem because in the end everything comes down to a formality. What difference does it make if the front of the building is the original or an exact replica? For me, the important thing is that the end result will be the same and much safer."