The mayor of Arrecife, Ástrid Pérez, has defended that the license granted this Wednesday for the rehabilitation and demolition of the interior part of the old Oriental hotel complies “with current legality”, thus responding to the criticism from the opposition and the doubts of her own government partners.
Regarding the latter, she maintains in a statement that they have all voted in favor, assuring that the permit has been approved “unanimously” in the Governing Board. However, both PSOE and NC have indicated to La Voz that their favorable vote was conditional, emphasizing that this condition has been rejected. “Our vote, if the proposal does not pass, translates as an abstention,” they pointed out from the socialist ranks, who indicate that it was approved with four votes in favor - from the PP and the councilor of Somos Lanzarote, Eli Merino - and three abstentions.
In her statement, the mayor refers to that proposal only as a “possibility” that “was debated”, and makes a different reading of the vote of her partners, considering it favorable. Specifically, what PSOE and NC were asking for was that the license not be made effective - and therefore the works could not be started - until 15 days had passed since it was notified to the Cabildo, so that both the Island Corporation and the Government of the Canary Islands "had the possibility of adopting the measures they deem necessary", given that the Heritage area of the Island Corporation raised objections to this project more than two years ago.
In this regard, the statement sent by the mayor maintains that this proposal “did not prosper, as the government group understood that four years is already enough time to grant a license.” Furthermore, it refers to the latest order from the Contentious-Administrative Court number 2 of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, dated July 30, which upheld a new precursor presented by the property of the building, Inmobiliaria Chimida, S.L.
The Court questions the "passivity" of the Cabildo and the Canarian Government
This order, among other things, questions the “passivity” of both the Cabildo and the Government of the Canary Islands. Regarding the Island Corporation, which did issue an initial unfavorable opinion in March 2019, the Court points out that it later requested to appear in the file, but nevertheless did not issue a report again, despite the fact that the City Council accepted its appearance almost a year ago.
“The same occurs with the Autonomous Community,” adds the order, which explains that the Government of the Canary Islands sent a letter to the City Council in November 2020, reminding it that the Heritage Law grants the regional Executive the “inspection activity” in the protection of these assets and asking it to adopt "precautionary measures", but nevertheless “has not sent anything” afterwards.
“They have remained passive for almost a year,” concludes the Court, which thus orders the procedure to continue to resolve the license application. However, the order also clarifies that this “in no case” implies that “the license is granted, but that the processing continues and that the file is resolved by the administration”, adopting “the resolution that is appropriate".