The Proinba property developers association has told Palma town hall that delays in granting building licences are creating a "crisis" for developers. Investment is being halted, and developers are unable to play their traditional role in building homes "that society demands". The shortage of decent and affordable housing is being made worse.
The association made these points at the most recent meeting of the urban planning management board. Figures were presented regarding licences issued in 2019. There were 1,468 applications, but the number of licences for new buildings went down by twelve compared with 2018 and by 26 compared with 2017. The developers say that the increase in building activity does not correspond with the number of licences processed by the town hall. The increased level of activity is reflected by the fact that in 2016 there were applications for 264 apartments, whereas in 2019 there were 1,017.
Proinba says that there have been continuous problems over the years with a lack of processing in certain months. There is very little in January and December, while last year there was a significant decrease in processing in June. This was put down to the elections.
Given the figures it has presented, the association believes that measures need to be adopted with "extreme urgency" in order to avoid what at times is the "total collapse" at the planning department.
Julio Martínez of the opposition Partido Popular says that the figures confirm what his party has been criticising. Worse still, he adds, is the lack of response from the urban planning councillor, Neus Truyol. "She doesn't know what she has to do in order to sort this out; rather like what happened with the spills of contaminated water. The town hall needs an action plan and not a 20% increase in the tax for licences."