Palma's mayor, Jaime Martínez, insists that a motorhome (or similar) is "a vehicle for moving around; a home is something else".
On Wednesday the mayor presented the amended bylaw that deals with motorhomes, caravans and camper vans. The bylaw will prohibit their use as homes. The town hall will fine people for spending the night in them. Considered to be a 'serious' infraction, the fine will be from 750 to 1,500 euros.
It has taken since May for the town hall to finalise the amended bylaw. When the potential ban and fines were highlighted in the spring, there were protests. The town hall was asked to allow eating and sleeping inside the vehicles. The final text of the bylaw doesn't permit this.
"We have repeated it several times. A motorhome, a car, a bus; these are not for living in. They are for moving around, for transport. The ordinance has an objective - in Palma people live in houses, not in caravans."
A ban on camping in vehicles will apply to the whole of Palma except in specific authorised places. As for parking, this must be in these places, but vehicles will have to move after ten days. This implies that caravan settlements such as those in Son Gual or Son Hugo will be dismantled. If a vehicle is being used as a habitual residence, the police will have permission to remove it but without entering it, except in exceptional cases.
If people are in a situation of social exclusion, the town hall will provide assistance and make social services available.