Spanish Government in for coastal property

Environment minister reserves the right to buy coastal property

Environment minister Cristina Narbona has declared the government has the right to buy coastal land or property offered for sale and that sellers must give first refusal to the coast department.

Sra Narbona said that where property or land is for sale on the coast, the government must be informed. This, she said, is a measure to ensure that unspoilt areas of coastline remain undeveloped and protected.

Under the law, the government has the right to carry out its own assessment of any property and fix a value. This, say experts, could cause problems because of the common trend of putting lower values on title deeds in order to avoid taxes - and then making up the true value in undeclared cash. If a seller refuses to accept the government's valuation of a property, the government can insist on buying at the value in the deeds.

In a separate move, opposition parties in Valencia have called the regional government's urban development programme ‘irresponsible’.

A report by the European Observatory claims Alicante Province is a vulnerable zone in terms of natural disasters. It says that intense construction over the last 10 years has left some places at risk, a fact ignored by regional government.

Opposition groups are demanding that regional president Francisco Camps ensures that marshland and risk areas are turned into development ‘no-go’ zones.

ARCHITECTS SPEAK OUT

The official college of architects in Valencia has urged regional housing and territories chief Rafael Blasco to suspend all building licences in coastal areas until such time as the new Plan Territorial del Litoral has been finalised.

President of the college Fabián Llisterri said that intense construction along the coast in recent years has in some cases caused damage and called for a public debate when the plan is ready.

Story from the Costa Blanca news