The César Manrique Foundation has offered to donate to the Cabildo of Lanzarote the complete facilities of the Casa de las Cúpulas, which include an old pre-existing house, of about 300 square meters, a workshop-pedagogical space, whose license was annulled by Justice, a surrounding plot of 4,000 square meters and the technical project for the rehabilitation of the complex, "with the purpose that environmental and cultural initiatives can be developed by the highest island institution."
The FCM announces that it makes this offer to the Cabildo "so that it studies its possible acceptance, in the interest of the public and the current legal framework." In this sense, the Foundation recalls that "it already stated at the beginning of 2007, after the judgment of the TSJC that annulled the authorization of works of the workshop granted by the General Directorate of Urbanism", its decision not to appeal it and leave "in the hands of the responsible institutions the granting of permits and the pertinent steps for the resolution of the judicial conflict and the execution of the sentence."
From the César Manrique Foundation they point out that they would be "available to the Cabildo to carry out the appropriate procedures, if necessary, in order to the effective viability of the donation", and specify that "with this offer", they have opted "for the formula that they consider most beneficial for the general interest of the island and its citizens, to the extent that, while the Cabildo of Lanzarote gets new heritage to develop cultural and environmental projects, it avoids, on the other hand, the burden against public coffers that would imply the imposition of damages to the public institutions concerned, City Council of Teguise and Government of the Canary Islands, for the irregular granting of licenses, an issue of their exclusive responsibility", in reference to possible compensation that they would have to pay to the Foundation for having granted those permits.
"Despite the use of this litigation as an instrument of pressure and delegitimization of the work of this institution, the FCM wants, with this decision, to reaffirm its commitment to the defense of Lanzarote and the control of tourist growth on the island and its intention to continue with the line followed in recent years, as well as set a precedent to resolve this type of situations, when they fit into the framework of the Law", they point out in a press release made public this Tuesday.
The Cabildo appreciates the offer
For the moment, the Cabildo of Lanzarote has already responded by thanking the offer of the César Manrique Foundation, although Manuela Armas has specified that "the acceptance of the donation will be subject to the appropriate file of restitution of legality".
In this sense, she has also added that "the public use of the facilities, whose transfer has been proposed by the Foundation, could be a determining element when accrediting the general interest and maintaining the work in its entirety".
