The councilor in the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, Armando Santana, will request the Plenary of the Cabildo to "adopt immediate measures to solve the blockage suffered by the economic and social development of the island due to the lack of a new Island Plan for Territorial Planning (PIOL)". Santana wants to "positively highlight the steps that are being taken with the new PIOL but no one can guarantee if it will be approved and how long we will have to wait".
In April 2022, the then president of the Cabildo, confirmed that the PIOL document that was being drafted would not be approved in that legislature, but that a new one would be drafted. This has caused serious damage to Lanzarote, since the current PIOL dates from 1991 and does not respond to the current needs of the island.
“Lanzarote has been waiting for decades for the approval of a new PIOL that allows the execution of essential projects for the generation of economy, employment and modernization in different sectors”, explained Santana. “This situation affects the entire island, but especially municipalities such as Tinajo, where strategic infrastructures such as the La Santa Fishing Port depend on its unblocking.”
"The Fishing Port of La Santa is a key infrastructure for the economic development of Tinajo and a tourist attraction of great value. However, the current facilities are insufficient and do not guarantee adequate working and safety conditions for professionals in the fishing sector", says Santana. “This claim has been on the table for years without an effective response so far”, the councilor highlighted.
In addition to the port of La Santa, other areas on the island "are affected by the lack of a new Island Plan, such as the regulation of camping areas and motorhomes, the development of industrial areas, the modernization of the primary sector, the extraction of minerals and the improvement of livestock facilities".
Faced with this situation, Santana has proposed various options contemplated in the Canary Islands Land Law to "unblock the essential projects for the island":
a) Declare of general interest the uses, activities and constructions that are not currently contemplated in the planning.
b) Prepare a Provisional Ordinance of an insular nature that allows streamlining the necessary investments.
c) Explore any other technical and legal avenue that the island services consider valid.
In this sense, the councilor will request the Plenary of the Cabildo to adopt the following agreements:
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That the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa prioritize the expansion and improvement of the La Santa dock, as well as other projects blocked by the lack of a new PIOL.
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That the technical mechanisms to unblock the necessary investments in the different municipalities of the island be studied.
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That the Cabildo offer technical and legal support to find the best solution to planning blockages.
“It is time for the Cabildo to take effective measures to respond to this problem. We cannot continue waiting for a new PIOL without making decisions that allow us to advance in the development of Lanzarote”, concluded Santana.
