Government approves land bill to expand social housing stock

On Monday, the Canary Islands Government approved the final draft of the bill to update the Land and Natural Areas Act for submission to Parliament; the bill increases the proportion of buildable area allocated to social housing on land zoned for development from 30 per cent to 40 per cent.

The Regional Minister for Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water, Manuel Miranda, explained at the press conference following the Governing Council meeting that the initiative, which replaces the 2017 Land Law, also increases the quota for social housing in regeneration and refurbishment projects on consolidated urban land from 10 per cent to 20 per cent.

The Canary Islands Government aims to adapt the 2017 regulations to housing needs, demographic challenges and climate change, as well as to streamline administrative procedures and strengthen the protection of the territory, Miranda stated.

Canary Islands Land Law: A Focus on Social Housing Construction and Procedures

Protecting the territory is one of the five key areas of the project, alongside streamlining the planning process, promoting social housing, supporting local authorities in addressing demographic challenges, and strengthening legal certainty in the primary sector.

The minister has identified housing as one of the main objectives of the reform and has emphasised the importance of increasing the proportion of funding allocated to social housing in light of the current needs of the Canary Islands.

Alongside these measures, he pointed out that the project aims to boost the construction of social housing and reduce the administrative burden, with a streamlining process that he put at a 40 per cent reduction in the amount of documentation required and an estimated 30 per cent reduction in the processing times for planning permission applications.

Urban planning: Fines rise to as much as 600,000 euros

Another key focus is the protection of the territory, particularly with regard to town planning regulations.

The reform tightens penalties for breaches of town planning regulations, which may reach 600,000 euros, and extends the time limits for processing such cases in order to prevent them from becoming time-barred, according to a statement issued by the Government.

Local authorities: Special status facilitates access to funding and staff accommodation

The text also provides for special status for local authorities facing demographic challenges, which will have priority access to grants or subsidies to update their planning, and support measures for the primary sector, including the possibility of providing housing linked to employment on agricultural holdings.

Specifically, the text permits detached houses in agricultural settlements provided they are linked to an actual agricultural activity.

The project’s new developments also include plans for industrial regeneration.

Land rights reform to go before Parliament following review by the advisory committee

The Governing Council’s decision follows the document’s initial approval in June and its subsequent referral to the Advisory Council, which has called for further clarification of aspects relating to the conditions of the environmental assessment.

Miranda explained that work on the reform began approximately two and a half years ago and has involved meetings across all the islands over a period of several months, in a participatory process which, according to the minister, resulted in a proposal to update and simplify the law.

The minister has expressed his hope that the parliamentary process will usher in a period of consensus and allow for new initiatives to be incorporated.