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The Balearic Islands Parliament has approved a controversial law that allows rural land to be converted into new homes.
The Law of Natural Spaces was passed in 1991, and it has pardoned illegal constructions that were made on land protected by the Serra de Tramuntana.
At a Monday plenary meeting in Palma, the Partido Popular and Vox Parties backed this legislation.
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The Balearics are lacking in affordable housing, they said.
The regulation will allow municipalities of at least 20,000 residents to reclassify municipal land reserves for construction purposes.
This is despite the fact that there are still undeveloped areas in a certain area.
The new law only allows rural land reserves to be accessed after all the available developable land has been developed.
The decision will rest with the individual municipality.
Quotas will be set for social housing.
Around 200 people gathered outside the Palma chamber to protest against the move with banners proclaiming that ‘Mallorca is not for sale’.
The Minister of Housing, Jose Luis Mateo, said the law will allow the construction of ‘affordable’ housing tailored to the needs of the community.
In a Monday riposte, he told his left-wing critics: “Wherever you allowed luxury neighbourhoods, groups of caravans and settlements illegal to grow, we’ve installed tools to build housing for families and youth.”
Vox deputy Sergio Rodríguez slammed opposition parties for giving the impression to people that ‘skyscrapers are going to be built in the mountains’.
The amnesty granted to illegal constructions prior to 1991 in the Serra de Tramuntana is also controversial.
Up until now, these buildings were not regularised due to a 1972 law that designated the mountain range a scenic landscape and guaranteed it protection.
These constructions are no longer subject to demolition under the new Balearics legislation.
The Olive Press offers more Balearic Islands News.
