Officers Resist Urban Planning Order, Allowing Guaza Warehouse Work to Continue in Arona
The individuals raising concerns about the industrial warehouse that has been refurbished and constructed since 2021 in the Guaza region, conveniently located near the TF-1 motorway in the Tenerife municipality of Arona, which has significant tourist importance and the highest population in the area, have submitted a new document to expand their grievance before court number 4 of this town. They are seeking to have two local police officers testify who, on May 2, 2023, visited the premises with a sealing order signed by the then-councillor for Urban Planning, the socialist Leopoldo Díaz Noda. However, they chose not to enforce the suspension of the works after the promoting company (Cicar, a car hire firm) presented an alleged permit at the time of their visit.
The complainants assert, in line with the ruling from the Natural Environment Protection Agency of the Canary Islands last September, that the company has never possessed the necessary licence from the Arona Town Council (for major works) or from any higher authorities. They argue that, under these circumstances, a request for permission through a responsible declaration is entirely inadequate to continue with the work, which has been resumed multiple times since then and is ongoing today as if the resolution from the regional agency did not exist, as confirmed by Canarias Ahora on Thursday afternoon, supported by images attached to this article.
The complainants express confusion regarding the ongoing situation of this substantial project located at the entrance to the Guaza nucleus, which persists as if it were exempt from attention from the Media Agency, the notification to the Consistory (Urban Planning department), and subsequent complaints made to the aforementioned court, the Civil Guard, and the relevant autonomous body. They consider it even more alarming that a year and a half ago, precisely in May 2023, these officers took it upon themselves to approve the supposed construction permit, thus interpreting the mayor’s directive rather than adhering to it and executing it as commanded. Therefore, they request that they appear as witnesses to ascertain whether their actions were based merely on their own judgement regarding the claims made by the company or if they had received further instructions from local departments or technical staff.
“Unilateral decision” of the officers
The resolution from the last Urban Planning councillor of the PSOE dates back to March 21 of 2023, although the police visit did not occur until May 2. The document indicates that the building is in an “out of planning” state and that, by contravening urban planning legislation, suspension and sealing are ordered as a preventative measure. However, as stated in the expanded complaint, “the officers decide, unilaterally, not to implement the seal because the foreman shows them a licence application.”
The complainants maintain that there is no authorisation for these actions and request that the local Arona Police now provide a new report on the condition of the warehouses, both currently and in recent years. They also demand that the court issue a request to the Canary Islands Agency for the Protection of the Natural Environment “to send the file being investigated for the illegal activities (and potentially illegal: on rural land) occurring in the contested warehouses (file IU-1529/2024).”
For the complainants, it is “difficult to believe that two police officers could independently decide to make such a decision without having received instructions, either from a police superior or from an official from the Urban Planning office.” In this respect, they highlight that the order to suspend and seal from the councillor “was directed to the head of the discipline section,” one of the implicated officials.
Furthermore, they criticise the “evident inaction” of the local government (PP, CC, and Más por Arona) that has emerged since the May 2023 elections concerning this situation and the Agency’s resolution, prompting them to request statements based on their new complaints following the aforementioned decision from the regional body regarding Mayor Luis García of Urban Planning and various technical staff and local officials as witnesses or subjects of investigation. They fear that an alleged crime of prevarication may be in play.
