The La Laguna City Council announced yesterday that it has ratified the final list of recipients for the municipal subsidies aimed at the restoration of properties of cultural significance within the municipality. This initiative is specifically directed towards buildings within the historical core as well as those located in other towns and neighbourhoods that are featured in the municipal protection catalogue. The Cultural Heritage Department’s initiative boasts 112,430.56 euros in funding for 24 applicants.
Through this effort, as articulated yesterday by the area councillor, Adolfo Cordobés, the council aims to “assist families in mitigating the additional expenses associated with maintaining a property that possesses some level of heritage protection, ensuring they can continue residing there, sustaining life and safeguarding heritage, while also contributing to the prevention of gentrification in our historic district, the only city in the Canary Islands recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.”
In light of rising material costs, the mayor stated that this year they opted to raise the funding by 12% compared to previous years, bringing it to 180,000 euros, “to aid the maximum possible number of individuals.” In this application round, 27 submissions were received, of which only 3 were denied following the objections period that ensued after the provisional list was published on September 26.
The funds are allocated according to the nature of the aids requested, with a cap of 8,000 euros per applicant, designed to cover a substantial portion of conservation and restoration efforts concerning facades and roofs, as well as improvements for accessibility or renovations of electrical, plumbing, and sewage systems.
The local administration clarifies that the denied applications did not adhere to the necessary documentation standards.
