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Last week, a round table on the Island Territorial Plan was held at the Ateneu de Maó. The two rooms of the venue were filled. The event was recorded, and the session has already exceeded a thousand views.

These figures show the great public interest generated by the attempt to make a punctual modification of this instrument, which is one of the main foundations of Menorca’s distinctive model.

The citizens’ response obliges the island government team to apply transparency in any change that may be applied from now on to the Territorial Plan.

Indeed, the fact that the new wording would have allowed golf courses, that all agricultural buildings on common rural land could be converted into houses, or that the limit on the number and size of swimming pools in agritourism establishments would be eliminated, are things that caused alarm in many people.

It is also very worrying that, in the documentation that was to be approved in July, the articles regulating landscape impacts were deleted or that highly protected areas were drawn as facilities.

These are just a few examples showing the serious setback that the modification would have meant. And which has finally been postponed because legal reports warned that these were very substantial changes that could not be made through an urgent procedure.

But in the debate at the round table, the Councillor for Territory ended up acknowledging, after repeated requests for clarification, that an attempt would again be made to carry out a punctual modification and that work would be done with the same technicians, who had been appointed directly.

For these reasons, GOB asks for a commitment to make public a draft of any documentation that is prepared, prior to its initial approval.

This was done in the Island Territorial Plan of 2003 and also in the 2023 review. Before approving any change, an exercise in transparency is carried out and the documentation is made available to interested citizens.

If there is nothing to hide, there should be no problem in attending to this request, which would reduce suspicions, all the more with the precedent of the contents written in recent weeks.

Those who are interested in the debate can watch the recording by playing the video below or by clicking on this link.