€2.8 million to Boost Municipal Planning in the Canary Islands

Intended to cover expenses generated by the drafting of general planning instruments.

The Government of the Canary Islands, through the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water, has raised the subsidies for municipal planning to €2.8 million for 2025. The ministry opened today the application period for the second access call, which is funded with €500,000 and will accept applications for five business days.

“With this second call we are getting close, in this mandate, to the six‑million‑euro investment directly made in updating municipal planning – a necessary exercise to continue developing the Canary Islands in a balanced and orderly way,” said Manuel Miranda, Minister of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water.

The first call, launched a month ago, distributed €2.3 million among 15 island municipalities. The new call is managed by the General Directorate of Territorial Planning and Cohesion, headed by Onán Cruz. As with previous calls, the funding is meant to cover costs related to the preparation of general planning instruments (e.g., general development plans) and partial or complementary instruments (e.g., protection catalogs, special plans, sectoral planning). Actions carried out in 2021, 2022 and 2024 can also be included.

Benefits for “Demographic‑Challenge” Municipalities

Manuel Miranda explained that the €500,000 call adds to the €2.3 million awarded a month earlier, which benefitted 15 municipalities, 14 of them classified as “demographic‑challenge” (populations under 10,000 inhabitants).

“One of the objectives of this measure is to help those municipalities that have fewer people and resources to undertake projects like the ones now subsidised,” he added.
“Since this government took office, €5.8 million have been earmarked for this purpose, and we have managed to cover the periods during the previous administration when no call was made.”

Onán Cruz recalled that in 2023 there was insufficient time to launch a call, so a budget amendment of €750,000 was approved for the municipalities affected by the La Palma volcanic eruption (El Paso, Tazacorte, and Los Llanos de Aridane, together with the Island Council). In 2024 a regular aid line of €2.3 million was opened, and in 2025 the same amount has been made available again, now with specific criteria to favour “demographic‑challenge” municipalities, which typically have fewer technical and financial resources.

An additional €500,000 has been added, and, as with the previous call, municipalities classified as “demographic‑challenge” will receive 100 % of the requested funding.

Manuel Miranda also highlighted other territorial‑management initiatives underway:

• A €1.5 million support program for municipal and island council technical offices (2025).
• Processing of supplementary general plans in several municipalities.
• Development of tourism modernization plans.
• Creation of a dedicated legal‑advice office, set to become operational in the coming weeks.