Aina Sastre of Més in Alaro says that she and the local party are "disappointed" that the Council of Majorca has not made a request for the purchase of Alaro Castle to be classified as a strategic project.
This classification is linked to the use of tourist tax revenue. The Balearic government is diverting this revenue to other purposes, but if a project is deemed to be strategic, the revenue will still be made available. The use of the tourist tax for the purchase of the castle had been approved, but as no request has been made, it will not be.
Sastre adds she cannot understand why the purchase has been excluded from tourist tax projects. The Council has cited administrative reasons, but "the reality is that the territorial planning department has not taken" the necessary steps. Sastre refers to information supplied to the Més senator, Vicenç Vidal, by the Secretary of State for Cortes Relations - the government department that liaises with Congress and the Senate. In March, Vidal was informed that there was no record of any request having been made with regard to the transfer of ownership of the property.
This was reference to the castle's walls, and Més believe that if the Council were to obtain ownership (which is currently in the name of the state), there would be "full management of the castle estate", which would allow necessary restoration and research.