Canary Islands Government Allocates €5.3 Million to Support Municipal Planning

The Councillor for Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water, Manuel Miranda, announced today in a parliamentary committee that the Canary Islands Government has earmarked €5.3 million since 2023 for subsidies aimed at municipal planning. The goal is to help town halls update their urban planning instruments and obtain the tools needed for the sustainable development of their municipalities.

“Having up‑to‑date plans is essential for balanced socioeconomic development of the islands and for improving local management capacity,” Miranda emphasized.

Miranda recalled that the administration reinstated these aids in 2024 after a three‑year hiatus. In 2023, 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—in collaboration with the Island Council. In 2024, the government launched the aid line as usual, allocating €2.3 million, and the same amount was made available again in 2025. This latest call introduced specific criteria to favor municipalities classified as “demographic challenges”, which typically have fewer technical and financial resources.

The councillor indicated that 15 town halls will benefit from the current call, 14 of them belonging to the demographic‑challenge group and eligible to receive 100 % of the requested funding. Additionally, the administration is processing a budget amendment to add €500,000 more, which will expand coverage to additional municipalities.

“It is vital that municipalities receive support to update their plans—something indispensable for fostering balanced development and improving residents’ quality of life. Moreover, they need continuous assistance over time. In the end, a general plan is a way to grow economically and socially,” Miranda said.

Miranda also highlighted that the subsidies can be applied to work carried out in 2021 and 2022, periods during which the previous government did not launch any calls. He reminded that the administration maintains other complementary actions in the planning field, such as the €1.5 million program in 2025 that supports technical offices of municipalities and island councils, the processing of supplementary general plans in several towns, and the development of tourism modernization plans.