It has been an extraordinary story of reports, more reports, objections, and technical requirements, but Pollensa Town Hall is finally set to give initial approval to the municipality's catalogue of protected assets.
This all started in 2005. At Thursday's council meeting, the initial approval will be given. A 30-day public consultation period will follow. The town hall will be hoping that this doesn't raise too many difficulties.
Mayor Martí March explains that there are 885 assets in all that require protection. Around 200 of these are archaeological remains. "It is important to identify all the assets and take them into account, given the progressive loss of identity that we are experiencing today."
As well as archaeological sites, these assets relate to architecture (civil, military, public and religious); the landscape and environment; public ways; ethnology; industrial heritage and civil engineering; and monuments.
The catalogue includes 20th-century tourist architecture in Puerto Pollensa, contemporary architecture such as Casa Huarte, recently declared an asset in the cultural interest, as well as mills, cisterns, lime kilns, terraced fields, irrigation channels, and coastal buildings in Formentor and Cala Carbó.
The document establishes different levels of protection - comprehensive, partial, and environmental. These are based on the historical, artistic, architectural, landscape, social, ethnological, or archaeological value of each asset.