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Lack of new housing developments blamed for driving up house prices in Spain by 8.7% in a year
THE Spanish government slammed as housing prices has been continue to The crisis has been most By Walter Finch skyrocket across the country, pronounced year. Andalucia’s in Spain’s provincial capitals, national average rising by 8.7%with the with Ma- one of the most Jaen province remains over the Idealista, attributed drid past year. the surge to a com- jumpsand Barcelona experiencing price prices as low affordable regions, with as €838 per of 17.8% bination of factors, including A report by property portal inade- In San Sebastian,and 16.7% respectively. Elsewhere, Valencia sawsquare metre. build properties has created a ‘perfect Idealista quate land development, a 17.6% rise storm’, according the country’s most ex- followed reveals the average price bureaucratic to Idealista, leading at €2,182 per square metre,now stands obstacles, labour shortages, and un- pensive city, housing prices have soared in line by Santander (16.7%). Next to a national housing though the checked population are Alicante (15.9%), Granada to crunch that is increases have been particularly growth in high-de- ing€5,570 per square metre, underscor- (15%) and Soria showing no signs of easing. steep in mand areas. the widening gap between (13.5%). certain regions and cities. Idealista’s report calls for urgent Spain’s Prices have major urban centres and “Used housing policy The rapid rise in house more afford- Barcelona also risen in Palma (10.2%), reforms, including measures prices has ing demand, andis unable to meet grow- able areas like Zamora, (9.8%), Sevilla (7.8%), Bilbao to streamsparked concern that government in the where line the construction process pol- age of supply, prices face of a short- remain at €1,175 per square metre.prices (6.1%) and San Sebastian (4%). and inicies are failing to address are centivize large-scale developments rising sharply,” The rising cost of housing in is putting issue of affordable housing. the critical Iñareta said, calling for immediate gov- Malaga has emerged as the priciest significant provincial capital in Andalucia, pressure on buyers across high-demand areas. Without swift acernment intervention Francisco Iñareta, spokesperson for housing construction. to accelerate new an average of €3,095 per square with the country, with many now spending tion, housing prices in Spain’s most dymarking a 17.9% increase over metre, over 30% of their income on mortgage namic cities and regions are expected to continue climbing, further the past payments. The exacerbating lack of affordable new- the housing affordability crisis.
SCAN here for the latest news ● All inside our Property magazine this issue
Vol. 7 Issue 192 www.theolivepress.es October 18th - October 31th 2024
By Laurence Dollimore
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He told them he only remembers his first name as ‘Stephen’, and cannot recall any family members or relatives. He also insisted he has no idea why he is in Spain, if he lives here or is on holiday. Meanwhile, alarmingly, no one has reported him missing, complicating the police investigation. After an Olive Press online appeal over the weekend, we hoped we had a breakthrough when an old friend of an ‘avid cyclist’ from Cambridgeshire insisted he was ‘Steve Presland’.
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A decade-old photo of Presland showed an uncanny resemblance, with others also recognising him as Presland. They both had the same colour-patterned beard and bushy eyebrows, plus an identical nose, as well as shared a passion for cycling. However, the theory was seemingly put to rest on Monday after a member of the Ely Running Club said they had ‘tracked down’ Presland in the UK. Stephen Howard told the Olive Press: “Steve has just called me back and
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A BRITISH pensioner has made a heartfelt appeal after getting ‘trapped’ in hospital in Spain having forgotten his surname. The elderly man, believed to be aged around 70, woke up from a coma in a Costa Blanca hospital suffering from amnesia. He told doctors in Torrevieja that he has literally no idea where he was going, where he lives or what he used to do. All that is known is he was travelling by bike in Alicante province on September 24 when he suffered a stroke. He had been cycling along the road between San Fulgencio and La Marina, according to local police, who are now helping him.
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He’s a British cyclist called ‘Stephen’ and he’s been in a coma after an accident… but that’s all he knows
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Alarmingly, when she called in a plumber the next day, he insisted he had fixed the problem after hoovering away some dust. But, that night, Coco continued to ‘howl’ at the boiler, so Debbie (below) sensibly sought a second opinion. Fortunately another plumbing firm discovered a hole in her cavity wall leaking the lethal gas. She was told her boiler needed immediate replacement. “Coco knew something was wrong and would not let up,” she told the Olive Press. “Since being fixed, I haven’t heard anything more than purring!” Now she is calling for a so-called ‘Coco’s Law’, which would require all Spanish homes to be fitted with a CO2 detector. Every year dozens of people die from CO2 poisoning in Spain. Such a law would have saved a Dutch tourist, 21, who died in a rented Playa de Palma villa, when a bird’s nest blocked a ventilation pipe.
OLIVE PRESS APPEAL: PLEASE HELP THIS EXPAT WITH AMNESIA
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A NEW law that could have saved a tourist’s life in Mallorca has been floated in honour of a cat. It comes after an expat’s feline ‘saved her life’ after the clever moggy ‘warned’ her of carbon monoxide (CO2) poisoning inside their flat. Debbie Lush was forced to act after her kitty, named Coco (above), refused to stop meowing at the boiler inside her rented apartment in Marbella. Suspecting something was amiss - following weeks of ‘crippling’ headaches - the estate agent, from Dublin, bought a carbon monoxide detector, which began immediately beeping.
said it is not him in your article, sorry!” We asked to be put in touch with Presland but we have yet to hear back. Adding to the mystery, social media posts appealing for information on Stephen have strangely disappeared - but police are very much still trying to identify him.
Worried The pensioner, who remains in hospital, asked that his photo and story be published by us in the hope that someone will recognise him. The Policia Local in San Fulgencio told the Olive Press last night that Stephen is starting to get really worried. A detective has been assigned to the case and is liaising with this paper in a bid to solve the mystery.
SPITTING IMAGE: But not the right man
If you think you recognise Stephen or know who he is, do not hesitate to contact us at tips@theolivepress.es.
952 147 834
952 147 834See page 13
*Data extracted from process closure surveys after using our roadside assistance and brea
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