Under an agreement with Vox, the Partido Popular government in the Balearics will allow the legalisation of properties in the Tramuntana Mountains even though they are on protected land. This will be through an amendment to what has been a raft of measures introduced by the government's administrative simplification law.
Until now, there was no statute of limitations for illegal construction on protected rustic land in the Tramuntana. This will no longer be the case. Once the amendment is formally passed, regulations that were in place when the property was built will apply. If this was before 1991, for example, it will be possible to legalise properties on land with protection, e.g. areas of special natural interest (ANEI). There was no expiry for unauthorised illegal use. There now will be - eight years after the construction or the illegal use came into effect.
Town halls have been blocking legalisation, basing their decisions on a regulation that dates back to 1972 - this was when the Tramuntana was declared a 'picturesque landscape' - as well as on environmental protection mechanisms such as ANEI.
The Council of Mallorca's Territorial Defence Agency, which pursues cases of illegal building on protected land, is against the amendment and has issued a report that questions it. Opposition parties, for their part, argue that the amendment is itself illegal.
The administrative simplification law provided an amnesty for properties on rural land that were not legal, but this hadn't applied to the Tramuntana until now. One of the municipalities most affected by the amendment will be Pollensa.