Fernando Prats, drafter of the Special Territorial Plan (PTE), has explained the content of this plan in several meetings held with different organizations and institutions of the Island. Social groups, members of the island corporation and the mayors of the seven municipalities have been the first to learn about the PTE in detail.
The Special Territorial Plan considers tourism as the socioeconomic key of the Island, therefore, Prats explained that what the PTE intends is to modulate and regulate its growth, rehabilitate areas to become tourist references and strengthen the segments. "But this will only be achieved with the collective effort of the entire society, which is the engine to revitalize our tourism sector, which is currently experiencing a stage of stagnation," commented the drafter of the Plan.
The controversy raised by the incorporation or not of the complementary offer (golf courses, sports centers, cultural spaces, etc.) has also been addressed during these days, since Fernando Prats has commented that he is in favor of the immediate approval of the PTE and, therefore, of the subsequent creation of a debated and consensual complementary leisure plan. This ideologue of the plan also stated that public land will be frozen that will be used for future remodeling or for the creation of complementary leisure facilities, "although without the possibility of building hotel places".
Fernando Prats has also insisted that with the PTE some 25,000 hotel beds will be declassified. "We must prevent further increasing the number of beds," said the drafter of the PTE. Prats also commented that this Plan contemplates that the creation of hotel places will be set at 2%, although with a margin of flexibility that may increase this percentage, in case any of the measures initiated causes a significant stoppage of the sector.
Concerns of social groups
From the social groups, the concerns and questions related to this Special Territorial Plan have been transferred to Fernando Prats this Friday. In this way, U.G.T. has stated that complementary leisure should be established through a consensus and has asked the president of the First Institution not to be pressured by anyone, since for this trade union organization the complementary offer should not be included in PTE.
Inés Rojas, for her part, replied stating that she has not received any type of pressure. "I am not pressured by anyone to make the PTE as other people want, the real pressure I have is the feeling about this issue of the people," added Rojas.
Mararía, for its part, made a reflection to the room, since for that association, "something has happened in the political class", while CC.OO. argued that this union understands that the creation of the complementary offer needs a debate in society, to know what we need, how and when. Prats commented that, from his personal point of view, he also agrees to immediately approve the PTE and then promote a consensus regarding complementary leisure, "although it is up to the politicians to make the final decision".
Citizens for Arrecife, who also attended the informative session, joined the supporters of the immediate approval of the Plan. "We dare to say that licenses are now being granted on land that is intended to be declassified. If the PTE were approved, this would imply the prohibition of the award of these licenses," they stressed from that group.
