Alejandro Marichal: “We are working on 21 key areas to unblock the procedures and ensure that the planning, after decades of stagnation, responds to the current needs of the residents of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.”
Davinia Ramírez: “The approval of the planning does not automatically legalize all the homes. What we do is establish the urban planning framework that will allow us to later analyze the situation of each plot.”
The San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council has definitively approved the modifications to the General Plan corresponding to Lomo Los Azules and Lomo de las Cuatro Matas, culminating two files initiated in 2021 at the initiative of the residents themselves and which have required environmental assessment, consultations with other administrations, sectoral reports and successive technical corrections during these years.
Both proceedings were initiated by the Association of Affected Residents of El Salobre, Lomo Los Azules and Surrounding Areas. In the case of Lomo de las Cuatro Matas, the proceedings began on June 24, 2021, while the documentation for Lomo Los Azules was submitted by the association in September of that same year.
The two approvals are part of the planning update work being carried out by the Department of Urban Planning since the beginning of this term in 2023. Currently, 21 planning modifications have been promoted which, in total, affect more than 1.200 families and include more than 2.500 homes of residential growth in different areas of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.
The First Deputy Mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Alejandro Marichal, emphasizes that “each project we manage to approve addresses urban planning problems that have affected the lives of residents and families in the municipality for many years. We are working to regulate 21 areas, unblock procedures, and ensure that the planning, after decades of stagnation, responds to the current needs of the residents of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.”
Marichal recalls that “since 2023 we have implemented a planning update strategy that affects more than 1.200 families. Behind each modification there are not only documents and administrative procedures; there are people who have been waiting for years for clear rules for their homes, their neighborhoods and the places where they have lived their lives.”
For her part, the Councillor for Urban Planning, Davinia Ramírez, explains that “with these modifications we delimit the areas, establish the permitted uses, define how they can grow in a controlled manner, and determine the conditions that the roads, services, and facilities must meet. Ultimately, it is about organizing an existing reality and providing it with a clear urban planning framework.”
Ramírez also points out that “the approval of the planning does not automatically legalize all the homes. What we are doing is establishing the urban planning framework that will allow us to subsequently analyze the situation of each plot and each building through the appropriate procedures and with all legal guarantees.”
This final approval establishes the urban planning regulations applicable to the entire area, but it does not automatically resolve the specific situation of each building. Each dwelling must comply with the procedures and requirements that apply according to its specific circumstances and, where relevant, any applicable administrative or judicial rulings.
Lomo Los Azules: 44 existing homes and capacity for another 20
The Lomo Los Azules rezoning plan regulates an agricultural settlement of approximately 41,9 hectares, which currently includes 44 homes, as well as agricultural buildings and plots used for activities typical of rural land. The plan allows for a maximum growth equivalent to 20 new homes, with an additional 4.000 square meters of buildable area, without exceeding the limits established by law for this type of settlement.
The modification also allows for the gradual improvement of the surrounding area. Among other actions, improvements are planned for the Lomo Los Azules and Buenavista roads, undergrounding of utilities, road signage, and the construction of sidewalks where the road dimensions permit. The plan also allows for infrastructure, public facilities, and amenities to meet the needs of residents, while maintaining the area's traditional agricultural uses.
Cuatro Matas: 40 existing homes and capacity for another 5
In Lomo de las Cuatro Matas, the modification delimits and orders the core as Rural Settlement Rural Land, adapting the planning to a consolidated residential reality.
The new framework establishes the predominance of residential use and allows for complementary agricultural, artisanal, commercial, and certain tourism uses in existing buildings. It also includes provisions for public amenities, facilities, and open spaces.
This approval orders a settlement of approximately two hectares in which there are currently 40 homes and also foresees the possibility of creating five new plots of 500 square meters and up to five new homes, intended to meet the future growth of the nucleus.
The document includes measures to conserve and improve the existing road network, maintain the rural character of the settlement, enhance accessibility and safety, regulate parking, and progressively complete infrastructure and services. It also includes plans for green spaces, water and sanitation networks, electricity, telecommunications, and waste management.
