The summer camp at Cala Murta was closed for good in 2014, it having been used since 1970. The owners, the Fundació Rotger Villalonga, were advised by the Council of Majorca that part of the site posed a fire risk. The foundation's intention was to continue in the higher zone, until it emerged that there was a planning violation. The activity licence was withdrawn and the site has been closed for the past seven years.
Pollensa's mayor, Tomeu Cifre, and representatives of the foundation met last week with the Balearic minister for social and youth affairs, Fina Santiago. They want the planned young people's law in the Balearics to include provision that will enable a reopening.
The Balearic housing law made an exception for hostels, refuges, summer camps and similar. This was that they did not have to be considered to be complementary to agricultural activity in order to be authorised on rustic land. This authorisation was dependent on there being no new buildings or extensions to existing ones.
Cifre says that it is absurd that the foundation would have to remove facilities that were outside of previous planning, only to then put them back again. This was a reason for discussions having been held with the regional environment ministry and the Council of Majorca's planning department. They said that the matter should be referred to Santiago for possible inclusion in the new law.
The social affairs ministry, for its part, says that it explained to the mayor and to the foundation's representatives that there could be difficulties with reopening the summer camp. The ministry adds that it would be good to be able to once more have the site for use by young people, but that it will have consult in detail with the environment ministry and the planning department.
As to "regularising" summer camps within the law for young people, the ministry is of the view that amendment of planning regulations is not a responsibility of the ministry.