The Cabildo of Lanzarote and the Government of the Canary Islands signed this Monday the collaboration protocol that will promote the formulation of modernization plans, improvement and increase of the competitiveness of the tourist centers of Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise, with the aim of updating its urban planning and providing them with new tools for its renovation and economic revitalization.
The signing was attended by the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, the Minister of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, Manuel Miranda; the Minister of Territorial Policy of the Cabildo, Jesús Machín; and the general director of Territorial Policy of the Autonomous Executive, Onán Cruz.
The protocol establishes that the Cabildo of Lanzarote will assume the drafting of the Modernization Plan of Playa Blanca, whose need arises from the partial annulment of the current planning by judicial decision. In addition, the drafting of the Modernization Plan of Costa Teguise is formalized, financed by the Cabildo and developed in coordination with the Government of the Canary Islands.
Betancort stated that "the commitment to carry out these plans and return to our tourist centers the legal security and the ability to grow in an orderly manner, with sustainable criteria and with a vision of the future" has already been signed. "Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise are two fundamental engines of the island's economy, and we could not afford to continue waiting. Now, with the support of the Government of the Canary Islands, Lanzarote is starting up with determination," he stressed.
For his part, Minister Manuel Miranda highlighted "the shared political will between the Government and the Cabildo to update and modernize the urban planning of tourist destinations." Miranda recalled that "we come from months of joint work to reach this starting point towards a new, more competitive and orderly tourism model. Now the countdown begins to turn these plans into a reality."
The modernization plans will allow the renovation of hotel and non-hotel infrastructures, commercial areas and public facilities, while promoting an improvement of the attractiveness and management of tourist spaces.
Meeting with the business sector of Tías
After the signing of the collaboration protocol, the representatives of the Cabildo and the Government of the Canary Islands held a meeting with the local business community of Tías to inform them of the status of the processing of the Modernization Plan of the municipality. The meeting was also attended by the mayor of Tías, José Juan Cruz, along with other members of the town hall.
During the meeting, Betancort conveyed a message of institutional commitment, technical coordination and political will so that the plan continues its course with guarantees. "The institutional involvement allows us to move forward with a clear roadmap and the goal is for the plan to become a reality as soon as possible," he said.
The island councilor Jesús Machín, pointed out that "the current planning is 34 years old and is obsolete so it does not respond to the reality or the current needs of the municipality." "It is of great importance to have an updated instrument that provides legal certainty and functionality to the urban planning of the municipality," he stressed.
In addition, Minister Manuel Miranda acknowledged the challenges that the development of the document has entailed, but indicated that the process is already in an advanced stage, with sectoral reports issued and administrative processing underway. "The goal is that, if the planned deadlines are met, the plan can be approved before the end of the year 2025," he concluded.
For his part, the general director of Territorial Policy, Onán Cruz, explained the technical status of the document, detailing that an important part of the administrative process has already been overcome and that procedures are currently overlapping to speed up the deadlines. "We hope to take the plan to the Governing Council before the end of the year, which will allow them to start the renovation and license application processes as soon as possible," Cruz warned.
