 Catral In Crisis
Catral In Crisis
A group of British residents in Catral have been trying to find out if their houses are legal following the dramatic announcement by the Valencian Generalitat that they would assume control of urbanisation planning from Catral town hall due to the “exaggerated” growth of illegal houses built on land that is either not for development or actually protected.
Conseller for Land and Housing, Esteban González Pons, stated that if over 1200 affected houses are not resolved within a month then they will take over responsibility for urban planning, and “Request the dissolution of Catral town hall from the central government.” An action he described as “Unprecedented in Spain apart from the dissolution of the town hall in Marbella.”
There are 1270 illegal homes, some of them on protected El Hondo Natural Park land, which lack licences and infrastructure. Pons justified the measure by the 400% increase in land illegally built on since 2002, when there were only 358 illegal homes, according to reports by Seprona, the Guardia Civil environmental agency.
Concerned British residents have explained how they have escrituras for their homes validated by known nearby notaries and their houses are on the corresponding register of properties. Many were built only two years ago and fit the profile of illegal houses on green belt land yet with all the paperwork.
Houses on protected land will be demolished, “With the environmental restoration of the affected areas.” The remainder would be studied individually with the intention to legalise those, “bought in good faith,” where possible. The consequences for the developers would be, “Determined by a judge, as owners of illegal homes will probably press charges.”
Sources in the Department of Urbanisation have indicated that the mostly British and German house buyers are informed about houses through translators who act in collaboration with promoters to not tell them of legal problems. Architects and notaries also conspire, they insist, with promoters to falsely certify that houses have been there for four years to avoid legal action. Many such cases are still open but some have been shelved. Pons said, “We are going to urgently identify those responsible for illegal constructions, to put an embargo on their goods to guarantee damages to citizens who have bought houses in good faith and now find themselves in an illegal home, which could even be demolished.”
Development activity stopped almost completely on Wednesday, which could leave hundreds of houses unfinished. The local administration has issued denuncias to stop Iberdrola and Aguagest supplying electricity and light.
Many areas in the Vega Baja comarca are affected by illegal construction including Dolores, Albatera, Pilar de la Horadada, San Fulgencio, Bigastro and Almoradí among others. In many case it is the same companies that are constructing illegally in other municipalities. Demolitions have so far only been carried out in Guardamar, Elche and Rojales. | 
