Arta Council will table a motion at Monday’s meeting to suspend the granting of planing permission for the construction or reform of swimming pools, jacuzzis or any installations which use water for recreational or decorative purposes. This measure responds to the “urgent” need of the municipality to solve the problems of shortages in the supply of drinking water.
According to the council the suspension “will allow the study and formulation of the proposal for the modification of subsidy regulations with the maximum consensus and will prevent the frustration of its objective with the massive presentation of projects and licence applications for the construction of swimming pools”. The duration of this measure would be a maximum of one year.
Over the past few years, the construction of swimming pools in the municipality has increased significantly. According to data from the archives of the municipal town planning department, in the past five years planning permission has been granted for the construction of at least 279 new private swimming pools.
On June 5 the council issued a Decree of measures due to the drought situation in the towns of Colònia de Sant Pere and the developments of Montferrutx and s’Estanyol, prohibiting the watering of gardens, filling swimming pools or cleaning terraces, and limiting water consumption to 117 litres per inhabitant per day.
Similar measures have been introduced in Valldemossa, where Michael Douglas has an estate and is currently on holiday and two years ago Deya also had to introduce severe water restrictions, which if water resources do not improve, may have to do the same again this summer due to the influx of second home owners and tourists. Mallorca has been on a pre drought alert for months now due to a relatively dry winter and last year’s heatwaves and record high temperatures.