st s be ag n’ m ai ty ish Sp operEngl pr in
Property
www.theolivepress.es
NOVEMBER 2024
The Spanish finalists in London’s RIBA awards and how a Spanish cathedral will soon be the world’s tallest See PROPERTY inside
THE BEST OF THE BEST
I
T is one of the most prestigious So it’s amazing that Spain is architecture prizes in the world. dings up for the top prize of connected to two of the three builchitects (RIBA) awards this the UK’s Royal Institute of British ArSpain-based architect Davidyear. three for the International Prize,Chipperfield is on the shortlist of nastery (left) into an office blockfor his clever conversion of a moBritish talent Chipperfield, whoin Paderborn, Germany. spends much of the year in Galicia, used ‘sculptural demolition’ Hospital into the headquarters to convert the St Vincenz Also on the list is the fabulous of the TAP holding group. sing project, in Barcelona, by Modulus Matrix social houThe stunning 10,000 sqm Peris + Toral Architects. block was built almost entirely from wood on the site of a former cinema. The largest wooden building in Spain, it was built from sustainable wood from the Basque The other nominee is the LianzhouCountry. tography, in China, which was Museum of Phobuilt on the site of an old sugar mill. See XXXXXX page
18
BREAKNECK PACE
Spain’s housing market rockets
SPAIN’S housing market continues to set records and shoot for the It has grown by 9.6% in stars. 16.6% since January 2023,a year and according
further up with 10% annual
growth – but is it a bubble?
writes Walter Finch
to the latest data. than in June Breakneck expansion has propelled it at €2,11 sqm, 2007, when it peaked One of the highest well above the largest previous rises according to property which exploded by 18.8%is in Madrid Zamora is the cheapest at €1,17 sqm. of 2007, which led to a dramatic peak portal Idealista. in a year to Meanwhile, €4,83 sqm, while crash, However, all but four provinces reas the graph (left) tumbled by February 2010 it had are up 10.8% to in Barcelona prices corded higher prices, with €4,59 sqm. Santa Cruz to €1,89 sqm, before dropshows. de Tenerife and Las Palmas Valencia saw the highest ping to an alarming seeing The average worsened by the €1,49 sqm in 2016 prices have increased by rise, where the steepest rises of 16.4% and 16% a fifth (20%), respectively. euro crisis. house in Spain Since followed closely by Malaga (19.6%), Other fast now costs €2,21 barkedthen Spain’s prices have em- Santander (18.1%) on an impressive recovery and Alicante aric Islandsgrowers include the Baleper square me- that (14.8%), Alicante went into overdrive in January (16.7%). tre, 4.4% higher last year. Malaga (12.7%) and Murcia (13.9%), San Sebastian is the most (14.9%). city overall, at €5,631 expensive For anyone looking for bargains, house sqm, while prices have actually fallen (-3.2%), Córdoba (-2.5%),in Ourense Badajoz (-1.1%) and Ciudad Real (-0.7%). THE situation now is The Balearic Islands continue to be different to 2007 in termsfundamentally the most expensive autonomous re reCOMMENT by Olive Press Spain was building more of supply. gion at €4,663 sqm, followed Property Insider Adam Neale of Europe then and we arethan the whole Community of Madrid (€3,64by the now firmly in sqm), a resale market with constricted the Basque Country (€3,01 supply. Meanwhile, further These days clients are not Canary Islands (€2,77 sqm) sqm), the regulatory chang changand Cata Catain- es have vestment but for lifestyle buying for in lunya (€2,44 sqm). and you can no itated closed mechanisms that facilfacil UP AND UP: The price longer get mortgages with a boom such as the ability Bargain hunters should chart keeps soaring from check out to 2016 low ratios of 100% and even for loan to value sell a contract during construction Castilla-La Mancha (€937), non residents. (aka ‘flipping’). Extremadura (€977 sqm) and Castilla y León (€1,199 sqm).
Sustainable or cause for alarm?
O LIVE P RESS COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA
SCAN here for the latest news
FREE Vol. 6 Issue 128 www.theolivepress.es November 14th - November 27th 2024
Tragic brothers THE bodies of two small brothers have been discovered a fortnight after they were swept away in the DANA floods. Ruben Matias (below), five, and his brother Izan (bottom), three, were found in Catarroja, several kilometres from their home in Torrent. A giant shipping container from a passing truck had crashed into their bedroom, exposing them to the storm and sweeping them away. An extensive search operation involving hundreds of local volunteers and even a specialised Mexican team known as Los Topos Aztecas scoured for them for two weeks. “We are devastated,” the boys’ aunt told reporters. “While we had lost hope of finding them alive, it still hurts deeply to have it confirmed.” She added that the family felt ‘a certain peace’ in being able to finally begin their mourning process.
MENU DEL DISASTER
DINED: Mazon (left) enjoyed a threehour lunch with Vilaplana (below) while disaster struck
Demands grow for the resignation of Valencia president Carlos Mazon as it emerges he was having a three hour power lunch as tragedy unfolded THE streets of Valencia have erupted in fury after it was revealed that regional president Carlos Mazon spent hours enjoying a long secret lunch while his region drowned. The PP leader is now facing calls for his resignation after 130,000 enraged citizens gathered to protest. Protesters accused him of murder and having ‘blood on his hands’, while hundreds of them clashed with riot police. The leader Mazon has called a press conference for today (Thursday) in which he is expected to announce resignations and a ‘restructuring’ of his government. It came as it emerged that Mazon was having a three hour lunch as the floodwaters rose and panic gripped the region on October 27. Mazon was dining at the exclusive El Ventorro restaurant with journalist Maribel Vilaplana, until 6pm – many hours after the first red alerts had been issued by meteorologists.
By Alex Trelinski & Dilip Kuner
Shockingly, though, he did not cut his meal short despite the worsening crisis and only returned to his office at around 7pm, by which time the death toll was climbing dramatically. “Mazon’s hands are stained with blood!” chanted the angry protesters outside Valencia City Hall, who clashed with riot police as they marched to the parliament building.
Injured
Four people were arrested and 31 police were injured. As the region continued the clean up operation after the flooding that left over 225 dead with dozens still missing, residents continue to question why he continued with his lengthy meal. Government sources insisted he was
ANGER: Protesters chanted that Mazon has ‘blood on his hands’ being constantly updated on the growing crisis, but his office has refused to disclose the details of his agenda for the day. Adding fuel to the fire, critics have pointed to a major failure in the authorities’ response. Despite the national weather agency (AEMET) sending out multiple red alerts at 8am that day, regional authorities only sent out emergency messages
to citizens’ phones 12 hours later. By this time hundreds of cars had already begun to float away and many homes were submerged. It didn’t help that Mazon failed to request emergency military assistance until 8pm, despite being fully informed of the growing disaster. Incredibly, PP vice president, Susana Camarero, insisted Mazon should not resign, saying it would be a ‘betrayal’ of the victims. “All we can think about is working on the recovery efforts and on repairing the damage,” she said this week.
Games
ALL ALLYOUR YOUR LEGAL LEGAL ISSUES ISSUESDEALT DEALT WITH! WITH!
One local resident, Ana de la Rosa, 30, told the Olive Press: “They should be held responsible for manslaughter and were too busy playing political games to save lives.” Another, Julian Garcia, 75, added: “They should have warned people to be on alert the night before and not to take their children to school.” Sources claim Minister for Justice Salome Pradas was ultimately responsible for the emergency response, but that hasn’t stopped the public from blaming Mazon.
Here Hereto tohelp help with withyour your life lifeininSpain Spain including including wills, wills,residency, residency, tax taxreturns, returns, buying buying and andselling selling property property WeWe speak speakyour your language! language! La La Marquesa Marquesa Commercial Commercial Centre, Centre,Office Office 4C, 4C,Ciudad Ciudad Quesada, Quesada,Rojales Rojales 03170 03170 tel: tel:966 966 943 943 219 219 www.mylawyerinspain.com www.mylawyerinspain.com
Opinion Page 6
VIOLENCE: Police made four arrests
See Village of the Damned, page 6 & 7