In the vicinity of El Fraile in Arona, the community of Lomo Negro has experienced significant growth between 2015 and 2023. In response to receiving severe penalties, including demands for the restoration of properties to their original state, residents have organised a demonstration scheduled for this Saturday at 8:00 p.m. in front of the cultural centre in Los Cristianos.
In their attempts to address the issue through formal channels, residents have reached out to various authorities, such as the Department of the Environment of the regional government and Luis José García, Councillor for Urban Planning and Territorial Management at the Arona Town Council. However, they have deemed the responses received so far as inadequate.
Despite the challenges, the Board of Directors of the Lomo Negro Residents’ Association remains hopeful that the city council will find a way to legalise their situation.
Lomo Negro presents a complex urban scenario, an “enigmatic presence”. The unauthorised development has raised suspicions among various authorities, leading to scrutiny by the Civil Guard’s Seprona and a complaint from the Canary Islands Agency for the Protection of the Natural Environment. This eventually prompted an investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The “illegal neighbourhood” is situated on protected rural agricultural land spanning over 150,000 square metres. According to current regulations, residential use of this area is strictly prohibited, whether through permanent or temporary structures. Despite this, the district is dotted with residences. The overcrowding issue has been exacerbated by the sale of subdividable plots within the 150,000 square metres on popular real estate platforms for housing construction or placement.
Prior to 2015, Lomo Negro reportedly obtained ten water connections, despite its rural zoning status. In essence, this area lacks the infrastructure to support residential services, such as water connections or energy provisions, as these services are only sanctioned in urban or developable zones. Compounding the situation, approximately 250 individuals have managed to register with the Arona Town Hall using these properties as their residential addresses, claiming to have paid property taxes and waste collection fees to the council.
“Reclassification is Unattainable”
Rafael Fariña, former director of the Canary Islands Agency for the Protection of the Natural Environment, asserts that “these lands are precluded from being reclassified as urban areas by the city council for a minimum of 20 years, in accordance with the Canary Islands Land Law, which stipulates that lands that have undergone irregular rural-to-urban parceling cannot be reclassified until the specified period has elapsed.”
These revelations are compounded by confessions from developers involved in the land project, acknowledging not only the presence of illegalities but also admitting that “dozens of homes will need to be demolished.” Despite their awareness of the unlawfulness of their actions, they proceeded to sell small plots for 39,000 euros each, as reported by local media. Allegedly, the urban development surge resulted in profits amounting to approximately four million euros. With the residents of Lomo Negro nearing the edge of uncertainty, they have opted to take a stand through demonstration.
