In November 2006, the mayor of Andratx, Eugenio Hidalgo, was arrested. He was later convicted of corruption and sent to prison. His offences related to land deals in the municipality. The town hall has been counting the cost ever since.
Two developments from that era ultimately led to demolition orders. Around 14 months ago, the demolition of apartments in Cala Llamp began. The town hall has now budgeted 5.5 million euros for the demolition of the Monport apartments in Puerto Andratx.
These were built on land which had protected status. The building was stopped in 2007; 80% of the work had been carried out. After years of legal dispute, the Balearic High Court ordered the demolition in 2020. In 2022, the then councillor for urban planning, Ángel Hoyos, said the town hall would have to budget in order to pay for demolition and compensation "that resulted from the corruption in our municipality".
14 million euros in compensation to the developer and the owners of the Monport apartments were paid. In 2022, the town hall allocated 4.8 million euros for the demolition. The matter then dragged on, the cost having now risen to 5.5 million.
The current mayor, Estefanía Gonzalvo, says: "We regret having to face the consequences of decisions made years ago and of an inadequate approach to urban planning, but this town hall has an obligation to comply with final judgments and act accordingly."