The Plenary of the Lagoon granted approval yesterday to initiate “the drafting of a plan for the verification and control of holiday rentals” within the municipality “in accordance with the provisions” of the forthcoming law concerning the sustainable management of tourist use of residences currently being processed by the Canarian government, “following its approval and implementation.”
This is outlined in the amendment proposed by the local administration (PSOE-CC) and supported by all parties, with the sole abstention from Vox, regarding a motion from the Canary Green Drago on the regulation of holiday accommodation and the battle against fraud in this sector, under the powers that will be enacted through this law. “We propose that this Council becomes a pioneer in regulating fraudulent holiday rentals,” remarked Carmen Peña, councillor of Drago Verdes Canarias.
The agreed text also articulates that, “upon the approval and subsequent implementation of the aforementioned law, efforts will be made to establish a unit focused on overseeing the city’s residences and tourist establishments.” Additionally, it urges the Canarian government and the council to enhance the resources “allocated to the enforcement of inspection and control measures,” and for the relevant administrations to “provide a detailed account of the registered holiday accommodations.”
The Councilor for Housing, Adolfo Cordobés, underscored that “this administration takes the housing issue very seriously” and reminded attendees that “we were the first authority in the Canary Islands to commission a study” in this regard, which also examined the impact of holiday housing. He pointed out that “only 1.7% of the total housing stock in the municipality is designated for this rental use,” amounting to 1,017 properties.
The PP spokesperson, Juan Antonio Molina, highlighted that the contents of the motion and amendment are already included in the draft legislation they are developing “and that the concerns municipalities will have to address” are legitimate. Nevertheless, he emphasised that “the housing dilemma is unrelated to holidays, but rather connected to the overall deficit in housing policies.”
The housing matter dominated a substantial portion of the plenary session, as Vox presented another motion proposing the establishment of an anti-occupation office, which did not proceed. The local government defended its stance that it was “unnecessary” and that it “does not reflect the reality of our municipality,” stated PSOE spokesman and Security Councilor, Badel Albelo, who characterised the suggestion as “demagoguery and a politics of fear.”
Meanwhile, Drago presented a motion once more to declare areas of high tension in housing in La Laguna, as they hold the view that the data justifies such a declaration. However, the Housing Councillor reiterated that the housing study concluded that the criteria for such a declaration were not met, and advocated instead for a policy to “boost the supply of public housing,” which was subsequently passed as an amendment from the local administration, supported by their votes, with the PP, Drago, and Unidas opting to abstain, while Vox and the non-attached councillor voted against.
In the questioning segment, Adolfo Cordobés, who also oversees the territory management area, announced that, “with the sustainable development model adopted by the plenary and its approval as an urban agenda for the municipality, the work on drafting technical sheets for hiring the authoring of the new PGO of the municipality is set to be bid in the coming weeks.”
Arena puddle
In response to questions regarding the reclaiming of the Aren pond as a public space, he noted that the resolution denying the concession period “is currently for consideration and determination on February 18.” “Should the ruling favour the interests of the City Council, the restoration of the asset for all citizens will be processed,” he explained.
Furthermore, the Plenary also unanimously approved an institutional motion acknowledging the work and legacy of the sculptor José Abad, known as Laguito, who recently passed away. A minute of silence was also observed for the deceased Gonazalo Díaz, founder of the Conca Sala, who died last Tuesday.
