The Cabildo of Lanzarote, led by Coalición Canaria and the Popular Party, has attributed the delays in the project of the municipal gymnasium of San Bartolomé to the "numerous deficiencies" found in the initial project.
The island's first institution issued a press release on the afternoon of this past Tuesday, after the announcement became known that the San Bartolomé City Council, led by the PSOE, had sent to the media to denounce this Wednesday in a press conference the situation of "blockage" of the municipal gym and in which it asked the Cabildo for an "immediate solution".
In the press release issued by the Cabildo de Lanzarote, they have assured that "they have tried to push forward projects of general interest", but they have attributed to the Government of Dolores Corujo (PSOE), which ended in 2023, the causes of the delays.
The Cabildo of Lanzarote has assured that the works were awarded in March 2023, under the presidency of Dolores Corujo, to the company Hormigones Insulares S.L. for a value of more than 1.3 million euros.
The first island institution has assured that, one month after the start of the work, the municipal technicians, the work director and technicians from the Cabildo de Lanzarote, "detected numerous deficiencies in the initial project presented by the San Bartolomé City Council".
Paralyzed for almost a year
The institution led by Oswaldo Betancort (CC) has assured that already during his mandate "irregularities" were detected in different matters, such as "electricity; fire protection; supply; public address system; evacuation; accessibility; structure; staircase; elevator and even in the execution of the facade openings for the installation of windows".
The Cabildo has added that in March 2024 the initial project was modified and the gym's works were reactivated.
New paralysis
However, they have pointed out that "deficiencies occurred as the works progressed" and it was requested to modify the project again in February 2025. The Cabildo has assured that "the initial project lacked accessibility in some of the bathrooms, also continued with the problem in the windows and lacked a public address system, which prevented the execution of the work under optimal conditions".
The island institution has assured that a report from Intervention determined that the second modification did not meet the legal requirements and decided to rescind the contract with the awarded company. The Cabildo de Lanzarote has branded the project "unsalvageable" and has held the previous Governing Group responsible in its statement.
The company was indemnified for 25,000 euros after rescinding the contract
At the same time, it has informed that in December 2025, the Cabildo de Lanzarote paid the company the compensation for the executed part of the work, which amounted to more than 25,000 euros, and proposed to the company the payment of 3% of the non-executed part.
However, the company claimed the entry of a higher percentage and, given this situation, the Cabildo de Lanzarote referred the contractual situation to the Consultative Council of the Canary Islands and it will be this body that will resolve the procedure for the termination of the contract.
"The outcome of this situation is due, solely and exclusively, to the initial project which was completely deficient in basic aspects, which not only did not respond to the real need of the residents of San Bartolomé, but even failed to comply with the minimum requirements for a building of this caliber", the first island institution has defended.
To which he/she/it added, that they have "extended a hand" to the San Bartolomé City Council "to solve the inherited situation and to be able to execute this sports facility so demanded by the society of the municipality".
Responds to the criticisms of favoring the City Councils of CC
The current Government Group of the Cabildo de Lanzarote has assured that "it has always distributed external and internal funds in an equitable manner among the seven municipalities of the island", "regardless of political color".
To which he has assured that these years he has intervened in San Bartolomé in "key works", such as the rehabilitation of Mástil street in Playa Honda; the transformation of San Borondón and Princesa Ico streets; the execution of the project “Molina a Molina” or the culmination of the Playa Honda Urban Park.
Finally, he has assured that the Canary Islands Development Funds (FDCAN) of 2022, the Cabildo of Lanzarote "would have allocated zero euros to municipalities such as Teguise; Arrecife; Tinajo and Yaiza, while it raised the amounts to the councils governed by the PSOE above two million euros."