Mid-June last, the City Council launched a public consultation to gather suggestions and ideas for the urban plans for the city. Last Tuesday 2nd, it was made public that the Town Planning Department received 37 allegations to build the urban future of Mijas, with the ideas, proposals, and allegations that associations, businesses, and individual residents sent to the Town Planning Department. The consultation sought to guarantee citizen participation in such sensitive issues as this, as the Councillor for the Department, Andrés Ruiz (Cs), pointed out: "they are coherent and sensible proposals, with common sense and good for the municipality, which is why we will take them into account and make them our own and include them in the future planning, as this is the ultimate objective".

The proposals include issues related to sustainable mobility, green spaces' creation and the protection of the environment. "The social agents urge the administration to guarantee better mobility, and less traffic. We also support public transport precisely to reduce traffic flows", said Ruiz. There is also a concern for environmental protection "groups such as 'Ecologistas en Acción' have asked for the green zones in Mijas to be extended," said the Councillor.

In this sense, Ruiz has advanced that "the objective of the department is in line with the proposals provided so that one of the goals is to seek new green spaces for leisure and recreation and ensure the relevant connections to reduce traffic, which would add a network of roads for non-motorized vehicles".

"We have counted on the citizens in this first step, and we will continue to do so. There is a guarantee of citizen participation, not only on this occasion but also in subsequent steps such as when we get to the planning," said the Mayor who advanced that "the intention of the City Council is to be involved in traffic reports, environment and other necessary matters for the development of the plan at the end of this year, to take the appropriate decisions gradually.

As for these plans, the Consistory now has to decide whether to implement a General Municipal Development Plan (PGOM), or an Urban Development Plan (POU), or both plans, as they are not incompatible.

Current projects

The Town Planning Councillor also remarked that plans are being studied. Therefore, projects currently developing, will be maintained within the current General Town Planning Plan, which dates back to 1999.

"I want to send out an optimistic message," insisted Andrés Ruiz, "all the land that is being developed, at the moment, through the partial plans, are being processed and are already included in our 1999 General Plan. They will continue to be processed until completion as their owners have an acquired right".

New features of the new law

Among the LISTA novelties is that it establishes a dual system of urban planning that replaces the traditional PGOU. In this way, what we know as the General Urban Development Plan, is now divided into a general Urban Development Instrument known as the General Municipal Development Plan and an urban development instrument known as the Municipal Development Plan. The PGOM will establish the new planning model for the municipality, while the POU will do the same with the detailed planning of the existing urban land.

Finally, the second great novelty of  LISTA is that "both the PGOM and the POU can now be approved by the Town Councils, without affecting, of course, the sectoral reports on the environment, roads, etc. The advantage of the Town Councils having the municipal competence for their approval means that the procedures could speed up to a greater extent", concludes the Councillor.

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