Arrecife is closer than ever to having a Supplementary General Planning Plan (PGOS). In the Plenary session held this Monday, the City Council has approved, with the votes in favor of the Government Group (PP-CC) and the Mixed Group, and the abstention of the Socialist Group, the conformity of the initial approval document, at the request of the General Directorate of Territorial Planning and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands. With this, the economic-financial study and the economic sustainability report are also validated, marking a before and after in the urban planning of the city.
The Government Group has worked in a coordinated and committed manner to carry out a document that for decades has been paralyzed by political and business interests. “Today we are taking a decisive step for Arrecife. We have worked with responsibility and courage, leaving aside political acronyms because the objective is clear: to provide our city with a key tool for its development”, highlighted the mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, who congratulated the Councilor for Urban Planning, Maciot Cabrera, and the entire team of the Municipal Technical Office.
De León highlighted that this supplementary plan classifies land to facilitate the construction of 1,500 protected public homes, and "will respond to parking needs, with the construction of large underground parking lots in the large parks that are planned."
In the same vein, the Deputy Mayor, Echedey Eugenio, highlighted the importance of the consensus reached: “This government has shown that when you work with commitment and determination, political barriers can be overcome. Arrecife needed this plan, and we have worked tirelessly to make it a reality. This is a clear roadmap for the future of the city. It is not just about ordering the land, but about improving the quality of life of the residents, providing the city with new infrastructure and guaranteeing transparency in urban planning.”
“We know that there are those who preferred that Arrecife continue without a plan to continue deciding arbitrarily”, said the councilor, who thanked the work of the Councilor for Urban Planning, the team of the Technical Office and Gesplán, and stressed the predisposition of his government partner, with Mayor Yonathan de León at the head, to carry out a document “in which we guarantee that the same rules apply to everyone.”
For his part, the Councilor for Urban Planning, Maciot Cabrera, highlighted the effort of the technical teams and the transparency of the process: “This document has been agreed upon and worked on rigorously. Now a 45-day public exhibition period is opened, giving a voice to the citizens and guaranteeing a clear and participatory process. “Arrecife will have a supplementary plan whether they like it or not. Today we put an end to a stage of blockage and take a firm step towards the future that our city deserves. With this approval, the Arrecife City Council closes a stage of urban uncertainty and moves towards a more planned, sustainable and equitable city model”, he said.
The consistory defends that the PGOS establishes "the bases to solve historical problems of the city, such as the lack of affordable housing, the regularization of scattered nuclei and the improvement of infrastructure and urban services." Among the most outstanding aspects of the document are:
- The enabling of more than 169 hectares of new developable land, with 60% destined for residential use.
- An increase in the reservation of protected housing from 10% to 30% in new urban developments, allowing the construction of more than 1,500 social homes and more than 3,500 private homes.
- The regularization of settlements such as Las Vírgenes and the Camino de Güime, guaranteeing legal security and access to basic services to hundreds of families.
- The creation of more than 280,000 m² of new green spaces and recreation areas.
- The reorganization of urban mobility, with new parking areas and measures to reduce traffic congestion.
- Planning of the Islote del Francés, a strategic enclave on the city's coastline. Following the judicial rulings and the Coastal regulations, it has been classified as Unconsolidated Urban Land with community use, which prevents massive residential or intensive tourist development.
