El Efequén seeks answers over delay to La Oliva heritage catalogue

Heritage association El Efequén has urged La Oliva council to publish a timetable for completing its cultural heritage catalogue. It also wants to know how the delay complies with Canary Islands heritage law. The catalogue received initial approval on 25 July 2024. The association says it still lacks final approval more than two years later.

Diario de Fuerteventura, Onda Fuerteventura and La Voz de Fuerteventura have all reported the appeal. El Efequén says objections raised during public consultation remain unanswered. It wants the council to explain how it has assessed those views.

Association questions legal timetable

The association cites article 54.4 of Law 11/2019 on Canary Islands Cultural Heritage, as reported by Diario de Fuerteventura. It says the law sets a limit of 12 months from the start of proceedings. Within that time, the council must decide whether to approve the catalogue and give notice of its decision.

The group says the law allows a pause of up to three months to obtain a mandatory favourable report from the Cabildo. Based on the information available to the group, that period would already have passed. It wants a documented explanation of the delay. The reports provided do not establish the full timeline of the council’s approval process.

El Efequén also says La Oliva is four years behind a separate deadline for preparing municipal catalogues. Onda Fuerteventura reports that the group cites the law’s sixth transitional provision. This gave councils three years from the date the law came into force to prepare their catalogues.

Concern over Cho Julián cisterns

The catalogue is intended to identify heritage assets, set levels of protection and define what work is allowed. El Efequén says the lack of final approval leaves owners unsure about restoring traditional buildings. It also leaves doubt over proposed development that would affect them.

The association highlights work at the communal cisterns of Cho Julián. It says this is changing how water runs off the ground. La Voz de Fuerteventura reports that AGONANE had also raised concerns about the site days earlier.

El Efequén warns that unclear protection could allow damage that cannot be undone, or destruction. It wants the council to set out which safeguards remain in force and to monitor assets at risk. It also calls for conservation work where needed while the catalogue awaits approval.

Council timetable sought

The association cites public comments made by heritage councillor David Hernández in May 2026. According to its account, he said major changes meant the initial approval stage would have to be repeated. The council was waiting for an updated document from the company preparing it. He also expressed confidence that the process could be completed during the council term.

El Efequén now wants dates for receiving that document and answering objections. It also seeks dates for completing the required reports and presenting the catalogue to the full council.

For comparison, it points to Puerto del Rosario. Its catalogue received initial approval almost ten months after La Oliva’s. It then secured final approval, which was published in the Official Provincial Bulletin on 9 October 2026. The association accepts that the two processes differ. However, it says the contrast strengthens its request for an explanation.