This Tuesday, as published by La Voz, the ruling of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) became known, in which it requires the Yaiza City Council to contract the drafting of the project and the supervision of the works to partially demolish the Hotel Princesa Yaiza, in Playa Blanca, owned by the Lanzarote businessman Juan Francisco Rosa.
The mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda, informed this Wednesday at a press conference that since the city council received this ruling, they have set to work to carry out the TSJC's requirements. "As soon as I was aware of the ruling, yesterday I sent the order from the Municipal Technical Office with all the conditions set by the ruling and the technicians are already looking at how to draft these two documents, one for the drafting of the demolition project and another to tender the site supervision and health and safety coordination," Noda pointed out.
"Regardless of whether it can be appealed, we are certainly going to comply with what we have been ordered and we are going to expedite all possible procedures," he continued.
Furthermore, he emphasized that this ruling will not affect the pockets of the residents of the municipality of Yaiza. "I want to make it clear that no resident of Yaiza will have to spend a single euro on this entire procedure because the ruling makes it clear that the property owner must pay for it, as they should have done from the beginning," he indicated.
"We have been forced to deal with this incident and make this proposal because the courts' demands were certainly directed at me and the City Council. Therefore, this validates our management and now we have to meticulously meet these deadlines," he continued.
The mayor also highlighted that, despite any potential new developments, precautionary measures, or the acceptance of appeals that the TSJC may have to communicate, the City Council will move forward "complying with the courts' demands and the legality of municipal planning."
One year to award the project drafting amid the electoral period
The court has given the city council one year to contract the drafting of the project and the supervision of the hotel demolition works. However, this period of time coincides with the municipal elections next year, which could lead to a change of government in Yaiza.
Regarding whether the Yaiza City Council considers the electoral period within this timeframe, Óscar Noda has stated that "while I am here, I have to comply as I always have and while I hold this mayorship, we will have to comply".
"If the tender then becomes complicated or is not fully awarded, that is another matter that would have to be seen, but for now we will launch the tender as soon as possible and even if the government changes, no madman will come and not comply with a court ruling," he pointed out.
In this regard, he assured that "we will take the steps as quickly as possible and then the deadlines of the Public Sector Contracts Law, which is what we are subject to in these cases, will run their course."
Around two million for partial demolition
Regarding the possible increase in the cost of partial demolition of the hotel, which was set at approximately two million a year ago due to inflation, Noda explained that "when it comes to projects, prices today are not real from one day to the next and they change".
"This was an estimate made by the external architect we hired to study the most suitable demolition alternative, and he said it was around two million or two and a half million euros because, above all, it is not about construction aspects, but rather about how to treat that construction waste afterwards," he said.
Thus, he pointed out that this waste "will have to go to an approved plant and a management company, and that incurs a cost, so it will most likely increase." "For the moment, and until we carry out the project and see what quantity it might be, we cannot give an exact figure either," he commented.
Noda suggests the court warn the developer with fines or criminal charges
The mayor highlighted the "insistence" of the Yaiza City Council to the ownership of the Hotel Princesa Yaiza to present the necessary projects to grant it the demolition license. "Normally they have submitted projects that have nothing to do with it, that Son Bou is an extension of Princesa Yaiza, that makes no sense because they are two completely different establishments," he stated.
"We have shown that we have had the will to execute, but the developer, who is the one who has the obligation, has not done so. There, I believe that they could also somehow require them in the courtroom, where they are also represented, to execute and warn them with positive fines or criminal proceedings, but so far it has been directed towards the City Council and especially towards me and the municipal technicians in charge of the matter," he concluded.
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