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Stopping the volume of the buildings being increased

The dispute driven by GOB against the enlargement of the hotels at Son Bou is going ahead gradually and not without difficulties because of the municipal response.

In 2017 Melià presented a project for a significant increase in size of the large hotels that exist on the front line of the Son Bou beach, buildings that have been the cause of one of the worst impacts made to the coastline of Menorca.

It plans to expand the current buildings by 5,500 square meters and create 2,250 square meters of swimming pools.

After analysing the project and the historical file, GOB advised that the hotel buildings did not comply with the plot area, when the licence granted in the 1970s was for 18,000 square meters and not the 25,000 square meters that were taken as building land. Furthermore, the constructed buildings had parts that were not allowed or expressly prohibited by the licence.

Following repeated legal reports, that did nothing to refute the irregular situation, the promoters presented a petition for separating and regrouping the plots with the clear intention of making the size of the whole hotel plot legal.

The Town Council neither allows sight of the petition nor responds

When GOB learnt that documents for the petition had been presented, it asked the Town Council to be able to consult the files of the proposal made by the company. The Town Council replied that the files could not be seen until a definitive resolution had been made.

So, a licence was granted to regroup the plots and GOB could consult it only after the agreement was given. When reviewing the documents, it was found that green areas were being taken for building. In addition, it showed that a part had been taken for granted for which no licence had been requested nor any permission given by the municipal urban planning authority.

A letter was sent to the Town Council relating these errors in detail and asking that the licence be revised. There was no reply and when the time allowed for consideration had elapsed with administrative silence, it was decided to take legal action. The enormous public response to the economic cost that this implied facilitated the commitment.

Litigation filed and expert reports made

In June last year, the formalization of the complaint was made in Palma before the Court of Law for Contentious Matters. The court required the Town Hall of Alaior to send them the documents relating to the file but there was no response here either.

A warning of coercive fines for the Town Hall and the managing employees was sent by the Court in November. This was necessary so that the Council would send the required documents.

For its part, GOB commissioned a topographical survey of the area as well as an expert appraisal by an architect, who would analyse coordinate by coordinate the cartography approved in the different plans that were part of the case: in the Partial Plan, the General Plan and the Island Territorial Plan.

From the appraisals carried out it is evident that non-building land has been counted as part of the hotel plot.

The Melià Company has also appeared in the Litigation, so now the legal initiative will not only involve the Town Council but also the promoter for enlarging the hotels.

In response to the public support received for this case, GOB will publicise all significant developments.