The aim of the government group (PSOE-ACP) at the Puerto de la Cruz City Council is to protect local businesses from the impact of the recently enforced Decree Law 1/2024 of February 19, which focuses on urgent measures in housing. As part of the Sustainable City initiative, the Plenary has approved a proposal for the Municipal Building Ordinance to take precedence over this new decree, allowing for better control over the use of land and buildings for housing purposes. The Popular Party (PP) voted against the motion, while the Canary Coalition (CC) abstained.
One of the key points in the new regulations is the potential transformation of commercial premises and offices into residential spaces under certain conditions. These conditions include having buildings of a collective housing nature, where the predominant use is for residential purposes and are situated on urban land. The local government’s objective with this initiative is to prevent speculation and safeguard the interests of local businesses. The municipal regulations specify that this change of use can only happen if the housing units meet habitability standards and have an allocated parking space per unit.
“Puerto de la Cruz is leading the way by ensuring a diversified range of activities within the city,” highlighted David Hernández, the councilor responsible for the area. One of the concerns raised is the increasing demand for converting premises into holiday accommodations, which could have adverse effects on the local economy, leading to higher rental costs and conflicting with sustainability and mobility policies in the region.
In light of this, it has been proposed that both the governing and opposition parties collaborate on a working group to address the broader implications of the regional Government’s decree, similar to the approach taken with the accessibility committee.
