Capital Approves Ordinance to Speed Up Urban Planning Processes

The City Council of Puerto del Rosario has definitively approved the amendment of the Municipal Building Ordinance, a pivotal tool aimed at strengthening legal certainty, accelerating urban‑planning procedures, and aligning local regulations with the current autonomous legislative framework.

Background

• The amendment was adopted by the municipal plenary after a process that began in January 2025.
• It included a public consultation, an initial approval, and a period of public information during which the Official College of Architects of Fuerteventura submitted objections and the Vice‑Council of Administration and Transparency of the Canary Islands Government provided contributions.
• Municipal technical and legal services reviewed the submissions, accepting all or part of the objections and incorporating improvements into the final text.

Key Modifications

• Flexible parking requirements in specific scenarios, allowing more adaptable land use.
• Clearer regulation of mixed agricultural uses on the same parcel, facilitating coexistence of different activities.
• Adaptation of coastal enclosures to comply with the national coastal law, ensuring proper management of shoreline zones.

These changes aim to:

• Homogenize interpretative criteria across the municipality.
• Facilitate the work of professionals and technicians involved in urban projects.
• Reduce administrative processing times, contributing to a more efficient and transparent urban management system.

Official Reactions

“This ordinance represents a decisive step toward providing the municipality with a clearer, more modern regulatory framework that reflects today’s reality. With this approval we give certainty to both citizens and sector professionals and continue advancing toward a more agile and effective administration,”
— David de Vera, Mayor of Puerto del Rosario

“We have carried out rigorous work, listening to the involved groups and improving the initial draft with contributions that enrich the norm. This ordinance will simplify procedures, improve project quality, and respond to the current needs of the municipality,”
— Ana Hernández, Councilor for Urban Planning

Legal Context and Implementation

• The amendment aligns the municipal ordinance with the Canary Islands Land Law and its development regulations, as well as recent national urban‑planning reforms.
• The agreement will be published in the corresponding Official Bulletin and will enter into force after the legally stipulated period, establishing a fundamental instrument for the ordered and sustainable development of Puerto del Rosario.