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HUNDREDS of thousands of homeowners who lived under the threat of having their property demolished have been thrown a lifeline. New Valencian Community licences have been introduced to help owners of rural homes built without appropriate permission prior to 2014 planning laws. An estimated 350,000 homes constructed on green-belt land in the Valencia region fall into the ‘illegal’ category. Impact Minimisation Licenses (MIT) can be applied for at local town halls by owners wanting legal recognition of their properties as well as banishing any fears of demolition. John Kirby is working for the Valencian government to explain the changes. He’s lived in Spain for 28 years and worked for Alborache council as a municipal architect. Kirby told the Olive Press: “The sheer number of illegal homes means that a large part of the region is affected, but MITs will be a real opportunity for change while protecting the environment.” He emphasised that getting an MIT doesn’t automatically mean that your rural home would become legal, but it does give you some key things. “The property can be legally lived in and maintained forever, as well as local councils being obliged to provide the same kind of services as in built-up areas of a municipality,” explained
By Alex Trelinski
John. “In return, home owners must provide guarantees over avoiding pollution to the sub-soil as w e l l as minimising potential flood and fire risks in the OLIV area,” he added. PRESSE He also pointed out that a NOT AGAIN property with an MIT licence would inevitably be easier to sell if and when the time comes. “MIT licences present a new path towards the social and economic integration of expats within their communities as DEFIANT: Gurney demolished his own home 952 147 834 well as for whole municipalities affected by able to gain assim- garage since their dream €400,000 such properties,” Kirby ilado al regimen de villa was demolished 14 years ago. concluded. Len and Helen Prior had been livValencia’s Agency for the Protec- fuera de ordenacion (AFO) status. It allowed homeowners to access ing in the garage for four years and tion of the Territory late last year threatened to demolish homes built services legally and register their a half - they powered it with a generator and used bottled water. on unapproved land around the property at the Land Registry. It also allowed some of the many community. expats, duped into buying what Nervous they thought was a normal home, But after they were finally granted Bulldozers connection to water or electricity. The authorities threatened to start However, it was too late for some AFO status in 2021, they got access to mains water and electricity. sending in bulldozers on properties homeowners. considered illegal from the start of Last year, the Olive Press reported Property owners in the Valencia this year, but the new permit re- the shocking story of Brit Gurney community nervous about their Davey who was forced to knock homes being demolished could see moves that prospect. a similar fate with the new MIT liIt’s a problem that has plagued down his own home in Tolox. homeowners across Andalucia, The then 67-year-old received the cence, but only if their home was but the region introduced a new court order despite having built the built after 2014. law in 2019 that allowed some home by following all the instrucOpinion Page 6 327,000 illegally built properties tions of legal advisors. to be environmentally and terri- The Olive Press also followed the CHOOSE TO dramatic story of an elderly British torially adapted. CHALLENGE International Women’s Day Under the legislation, homes older couple who were forced to live in a than six years and not OLIVE built on protected or PRESS flood risk land were ANDALUCÍA
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Vol. 15 Issue 370
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press.es June 2nd - June
15th 2021
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EXCLUSIVE By Dilip Kuner
AN expat is facing prison for failing to demolish his home after he fell foul of a town faire’ planning rules.hall’s ‘laissez Gurney Davey, found out about aged 67, only sentence when a the six-month was delivered tocourt document a neighbour’s house. “I went straight to with it. They told Tolox town hall have received it me I shouldn’t yet,” he told the Olive Press. “They said they were going to be sending the notification to me once they had stamped it.” The news came as a massive bolt from the blue for Davey, whose wife has just which he believesdied of cancer, the stress of the worsened from case. He had never been told about the court case that a Guardia Civil followed on from denuncia for an ‘illegal build’. Davey’s two-bed 2004 - should home - built in built according never have been to the Malaga court.
British expat faces year home - and demolition of his 17 a spell in prison repeat of controve - in rsial Priors case
Legalise
In 2016, and then again in 2017, Davey was ordered to knock down his house, with a neighbour,but, in common he waited for more details. While his Spanish neighbour, Irene Millan, 29, did eventually hear from the court again, she was given six months to ‘legalise’ her property was never given.an option Davey However, his neighbour’s apparent good luck turned into a poisoned chalice. Having spent €20,000 with the DEMOLITION: Expat Gurney town hall to legalise Davey is being the dwelling, forced to knock the court finally down his own refused to accept lan, whose name was on house and faces the new paperwork the deeds, six months jail provided by monthswas also sentenced to six cancer, at the age of 71, in April. the council. “We jail and handed a fine of thingthought we had done every- from legal firm Manzanares, told Instead, demolition €6 a day for them that planning right at the the smart thing which went ahead was ordered - Now Davey a year. to do. permission legal advice and time. We got would be applied is terrified he is last week. went through a To add insult for as an alma- “Why would we deliberately try cen - or ‘warehouse’. to injury Irene’s lose his home at any moment.set to lawyer in order to get permission to build illegally? It 54-year-old father, makes no sense This way it would that we would Manuel Mil- It comes just two months since to build the home. his wife Diana remit of Tolox come under the in the UK and sell up everything died from bowel “Diana fought breast cancer town hall, which risk it all.” for six years before Now Davey’s bowel cancer - I would give permission and later avoid servingfirst thoughts are to am sure the they could ‘legalise’ the property. the jail stress brought The language of one legal letter, He said: “My lawyer is sentence. trying seen by the Olive it on.” Press, suggests get the sentence suspended.” to this would be a mere The couple, formality. originally from But the property never got legalFlatten ised. ALL AREAS COVERED Suffolk in the In the meantime In fact, the Tolox UK, mayor of spent forced to ask the he has been town hall € 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 time, Juan Vera, has since the permission 4G UNLIMITED to knock his for building their jailed and fined for his part been property own in a scheme to allow down. INTERNET property. up to 350 prop- “I will IDEAL FOR “It came as a erties to be built on land classified a JCB do it myself. I will borrow from someone and STREAMING TV package - a as ‘rural’. flatten my home of the past 17 years. I plot with a new In most cases he had used the will not let the town hall very same ‘lax’ ALSO IPTV, home on it.” procedure of do it and charge me more SATELLITE TV money.” Davey admits plying to build an ‘almacen’ ap- He added: See page 5 & 15 “I’ve no idea where he and his wife try to keep the prying eyes of to live to afterwards. But the were perhaps Junta authorities away. the land is tel: (0034) 952 763 still mine - maybe 840 I can live in a naive to follow “We thought that was the tent.” info@theskydoctor.com the advice of things worked in Spain,” way Tolox said Ayuntamiento refused Davey, a retired www.theskydoctor.com their lawyer. to comment, citing “We went to see builder. data protection The a lawyer lawyer, advice. laws. It turns out that and got was not Opinion
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21/6/19 13:30
How these two women - an expat and a local did two centuries apart
ANDALUCÍA
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we hear the inspirational stories from over a dozen expats from around the country
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Torn down Vol. 14 Issue 364
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March 10th - March
23rd 2021
Owners demolis their own homesh escape massive to fines as the Junta finally gets tough on illegal construction By Dilip Kuner
OWNERS of illegal homes have started tear them down to to try and escape fines of over €600,000. massive It comes after the on illegal homes, Junta finally got tough inspections and doubling the number of tripling its prosecutions DANGER: against unscrupulous El Palmar Landscape threatened by In a landmark year speculators. for the environment, and (right) Lenillegal development there were double and Helen Prior around Andalucia the number of inspections dream in 2020. home in the sun. Some 1,087 constructions were probed, Andalucia has had dozens of victims while 75 investigations of illegal were launched into homes – including expats – who developers looking bought villas in good faith to cash in from holiday only to see them latertheir rentals and joint ownership tened by bulldozers. flatschemes. So sharp was the rise that owners voluntarily The most famous case involved knocked down their British ple fined in ‘almost all’ properties before getting villaHelen and Len Prior who bought cou- the Junta was taken over which their by the PP in 2019 of Andalucia’s eight inces. prov- their councilhad planning permission from less problems are being created. Indeed, in 2020 there in Vera (Almeria). A number of homes were 95% more inspechave been voluntari- deemed illegal and knocked It was later tions undertaken ly knocked down down by the into and Junta shady developers, 300% more probes Oria, Alcolea del in El Palmar, as well as in use as it was on land zoned as agricultural with so far €4million only. in fines levied. revealed the JuntaRio, Iznajar and Algatocin, It took this 10 week. years of One key seaside town The move is being tired couple finallycourt battles before the re- Palmar, that is benefitting is El received €236,000 developers before seen as vital to stop dodgy pensation in Cadiz, where fines com- €600,000 they can sell on the erties to unsuspecting have been slapped of more than prop- With an from Vera council in 2018. estimated 300,000 on the people looking for of any plot with a illegal a in the region, prefabricated house.owners the Junta has in properties The area was badly recent years 500 affected hectares of agricultural when an area of introduced measures land was effecto help victims legal- tively subdivided into hundreds of plots between 500sqm and ise their homes. 1,000sqm by speculators. majority though The A total of 16 cases were launched against peobeen left in a have ple advertising development limbo’ with many‘legal agricultural land. Most wereplots for sale on left via online adverts, tracked down unsaleable. many on social media. “It’s great they are At least under finally clamping new and down I’m edicts brought in in total agreement,” since owner James said local hotel Stuart, from the Califa group in nearby Vejer. “So many houses do not have licences and the area just does not have the right infrastructure to support it all.” ALL AREAS COVERED He added: “Thankfully there are quite a few areas still totally untouched by development.” 4G UNLIMITED The Junta’s Minister INTERNET ment, Marifran Carazo, of DevelopIDEAL FOR is determined to fight stressed she STREAMING TV tion of illegal buildings.the prolifera“What is the point ALSO IPTV, cree to legalize of passing a deSATELLITE TV that was in legal irregular housing if we allow these limbo for decades tel: (0034) 952 763 gal building in. Wenew types of ille840 are not going to info@theskydoctor.com allow it.”
X
Steps
The ambassador was not, however, able to confirm how much longer the remaining steps would take. Once they are taken people will have ‘six months to exchange your UK licence for a Spanish one. And during that time, you'll be able to drive using your existing valid UK licence,’ said Elliott. “Once those legal and political approvals are done, confirmation will be published in the BOE,” Elliott explained, in reference to Spain’s Official State Bulletin. “At that point, you will then have six months to exchange your UK licence for a Spanish one. And during that time, you'll be able to drive using your existing valid UK licence.” He added: ‘I know this hasn't been an easy time for those of you who've been unable to drive but I hope that this latest news gives you some reassurane.”
New law means owners will be able to legalise ‘illegal’ rural homes
The
THE seven month nightmare being suffered by residents of Spain who hold UK driving licences might nearly be over, according to British ambassador Hugh Elliott. The top diplomat has said that the ‘two outstanding complex issues’ that were still being negotiated between the two countries have been resolved. “We'll now take forward the remaining steps including legal checks, securing ministerial approval on both sides – which for Spain, is by the Consejo de Ministros, the Spanish Cabinet – and the necessary treaty processes and formal exchanges,” he added.
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Light at end of the tunnel
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PROPERTY LIFELINE X
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Gorge-ous... The wonder of Ronda
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CAPTION
Pics are on the wall
A SMALL village in ed the skills deep whitewashed of two localinland Malaga has artists enlistwalls into across the a tribute to transform the In a projectages. to rural women rapher Ana entitled ‘Saucedeñas’, Becerra taken to Ronda photogand artist Selector ResidentsVillanueva del Rosario. Marx have awoke last white collages week of images to large scale blazoned black and of local rural on walls “The women of municipal women emon the photographs buildings. are entrepreneurs, had a history who cultivated are women of self-improvement” who creativity or who said Becerra.
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One in five Spanish women gave up work COVID crisis, due to the also poorer while they are than men, and harder working writes Olive Digital Editor Press Fiona
I
N previous Govan a day whenyears March 8 was grandparents with a groupI would meet up on shoulders, to toddlers hoisted of friends we would came together and sea of purple drid joining hit the streets of Main a Charmaine tens of thousands with powerful brandishing signs Arbouin, others to mark British Consul International of that modern slogans to show men’s Day. Wo- opportunities,Spain means for Andalusia, We would whatever equal Canary you are. gender clothing anddon purple items of Islands, Ceuta women in But the demonstrations that attractedjoin in the protests managerial Melilla. Based & remains around positions derlined how also walks of life people from all in a third of that much there unMalaga she men with the and across still to do; of nerations was the gewomen may – even further numbers dropping the region covers fully accepted now be men, boys both men and woas careers of and girls. Spain’s female progress. but they are in the workplace that has the Spain There was executives a 15.1 percent gender pay still penalised by a earn concentration largest re as peoplecarnival atmosphecounterparts, less than their male of all ages, proving fast gap, which is not imof British enough. from Meanwhile men is still below the although this is just residents recognised violence against problem as a gap of 16 EU average salary wo- witnessingin Spain and the major the run up percent according we are to Women’s the the “International to year revealed Day this Thislatest EU data from try’s political rise of the coun2017. Women’s inequality Day is an had suffered that 7% of women a denial of far right and with it the statement is highlighted in celebrate opportunity to logical abusephysical or psychoThis year gender inequalities. government issued by Spain’s from men ments of the achievewith 2020. on March during men grip of the Spain still in the 8: “Wopast and women - both in Spain work And most are no mass pandemic, there more alarwho havepresent; those mingly protests with men today, than thorities banning transformedshaped and au- cording of all, acbut they are poorer.” avoid potential gatherings to our world, to whether FIVE LINERS test data, the lasuper-spreader Of course events, but cally or inthat be politiwomen there made up the fields are still reasons highlighted the health crisis has science and xxxxxxx 93% of of those who to be positive ded some and even compounit’s also a culture. But gave of the inequalities xxxxxxxxx moment to up employment and to celebrate flect on what society. rein during just how far to be done still needs Working from 2020 xxxxxxxx Spain... citing in and that’s why this men have wosteep rise in home has seen a caring for xxxxxxxxx of Choose year’s theme in Spain. come with womenmental health issues minors, to Challenge elderly or matters. Spain may of the burdenbearing the brunt sick renot latives of childcare choose to We must all have had housework and That as the main reasons. call out and inequality, bias is one in five male primea fework life as they try to balance nister but it women, accorwith miso that we have even ding to a survey and care for home-schooling of women has the largest share more great by online comfemale achievers their elderly munity in any European ves. gislature with relati- During MalasMadres. ebrate in to cellewomen represenWhen Spain the future.” the second ting 47 quarter of year, a period a year ago,went into lockdown last a biggerpercent of elected MPs, Spain’s strict that coincided with proportion soared with gender violence lawmakers of female women gave lockdown 61,000 porting an the authorities reMore than than even Sweden. care for others up their jobs to half of Pedro ring the first18% rise in calls duchez’s cabinet Sanfortnight alone. 6,500 men. compared to just A survey conducted men – each comprises woAnd when by DYM in qualified for one impressively kplace itself,it comes to the wormen holdingtheir role – with wothe proportion key ministerial of sitions including poForeign Minister and Health We’ve comeMinister. a long way the end of the dictatorship since a woman had to have when ther’s or husband’s her fapermission to travel and bank account. couldn’t open a But there’s no room for cency, we still have a complaway to go. long long
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See page 5
ANGUISH: The Priors watched as their house was torn down