LA CURVA LICENCE CANCELLED BY HIGH COURTBy David Eade – Costa del Sol News
The Andalucía High Court (TSJA) has cancelled a study used by Ronda town hall to approve the construction of La Curva apartment building which has been inhabited since 2006.
The ruling has been issued four years after the works were finished and the 107 apartments have been occupied by residents.
Ecologistas en Acción brought the case in 2004 against the decision of the town hall to authorise the construction of the apartments at the entrance to Ronda from the Sevilla road. The environmentalists also claimed the provisions for the building under the 2003 local development plan were not published in the provincial bulletin (BOP) to regularise the decision.
In 2005 the TSJA suspended the study whilst it carried out further investigations but the developer speeded up instead of halting construction. At the same time the ecologists presented further allegations in court claiming the building was located on public land.
Once the apartments were finished they were offered for sale and the TSJA has accused the town hall of serious irresponsibility for not ensuring the works were halted.
The Partido Popular councillor, José Herrera, who was the mayor of Ronda when the scheme was approved, said the TSJA judgement was a technical matter that can be solved without difficulty as soon as the council studies the details of the development and incorporates them in the new PGOU and publishes them in the BOP. He also stressed it would not affect the families that had purchased homes in the building.
DOWN ON THE PLANTATION
Six people, three men and three women, aged between 22 and 48 years are in detention in Ronda. They were arrested by the National Police and are said to be members of a family clan that is dedicated to drug trafficking.
In the process of rounding up the gang in operation ‘Curva’ officers found inside a house a complete system for growing marihuana. They seized 16 marihuana plants, 95 grams of cocaine, 20 grams of heroin plus 315 pieces of jewellery the origin of which is being investigated.
The marihuana growing system included ventilators, heaters, lamps and an electric irrigation system. Five of those arrested are being held in jail by judicial order.
DRUNKEN STUDENTS
Local police in Ronda apprehended three students, two lads and a girl, aged 15 to 17 years on Thursday after they had become drunk at an end of term party at the paseo Blas Infante by the bullring. One was taken to the emergency department of Ronda Hospital to be treated whilst the other two were taken to the care of their parents.
WINE CENTRE
The regional government and Ronda town hall have signed an agreement to fund a wine training centre. Over the last decade the Serranía de Ronda has become the centre of the vineyards in Málaga province with 240 hectares of vines planted. The school with a museum, tasting and lecture rooms will be located in the restored former water deposit building at El Fuerte.
GOING DOWN
PSOE in Ronda has voted that its councillors and the mayor will reduce their salaries by six per cent and seven per cent respectively. It has further been agreed by the PP and PSOE at an Andalucía level that for the mayors of towns between 20,000 and 50,000 residents, which includes Ronda, the mayor’s salary will be no more than 54,540 euros.
BARRACK’S DEAL
Ronda’s La Concepción barracks are gradually being demolished. The town hall and ministry of defence have agreed that over the next three years Ronda will pay 3.6 million euros to acquire the site which initially will be a parking zone then a civic centre. Meanwhile Ronda has to negotiate with the family that donated the site 100 years ago for solely military use.
ANOTHER PAYMENT
The project to build a controversial golf, residential and leisure complex at Los Merinos on the outskirts of Ronda may be on hold because of the financial crisis but the Catalan developers has paid over a further 866.250 euros under the town planning agreement. It is its tenth such payment and the money will be used for projects to benefit Ronda residents.
BETTER SERVICE
The Partido Popular in Andalucía’s Parliament has issued a motion calling for the improvement to the health service in the Serranía de Ronda. The key request is to ensure there are additional personnel and ambulances to mount an effective 061 emergency service with sufficient health centres. The PP says the villages are very spread out over a large area and need medical cover.
