March 22 2010:  Open meeting reschaduled.

In order to get you the latest information we're herewith rescheduding our next association meeting -originally planned for March 26th- towards April with the exact date and venue to be confirmed in a later stage. 

After our successful meeting in September in Albir with apprx 460-480 people attending the conference about Urban Planning Abuses, the Member of the European Parliament Margrete Auken launched a proposal to the European Parliament to partially freeze the subsidies to Spain; this was at the end not taken into voting, but last week also a British MEP "promised" the Spanish prime minister in a session in Brussels that she would execute this threat if Spain would not substantially improve it's Urban Development laws, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero responded that he will look into the matter with a sense of urgency. .

Municipalities may choose to execute PAI or declare them extinct if after twelve months from the entry into force of the new urban law and have not started The land may be re-rustic.

--> Read the article (E)

February 5 2010:  The prosecution opened 42 investigations into urban malpractice.  

Incorrect municipal procedures facilitate infringement.

After our successful meeting in September in Albir with apprx 460-480 people attending the conference about Urban Planning Abuses, the Member of the European Parliament Margrete Auken launched a proposal to the European Parliament to partially freeze the subsidies to Spain; this was at the end not taken into voting, but last week also a British MEP "promised" the Spanish prime minister in a session in Brussels that she would execute this threat if Spain would not substantially improve it's Urban Development laws, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero responded that he will look into the matter with a sense of urgency. .

SANTIAGO NAVARRO - Alicante - 18/12/2009 The High Court of Justice (TSJ) from Valencian has agreed to the suspension of the plan Rabassa, the most ambitious and  controversial urban development project from Alicante. The plan was to build 13,503 houses on the northern outskirts of the city. The urban program, awarded to local contractor Henry Ortiz, was finally approved by the Consell last May.
The High Court of Justice considers that the water is not guaranteed and was developed outside the Plan General (PGOU)

--> Download the article (E)

• Around 450 people attended the conference (politicians, lawyers, associations and other interested people
• 10 associations from all over Spain participated in the conference
• Member of Euro Parliament Margrete Auken revealed that she will propose on 28th of september a budget amendment to freese 185 Milion euro in reserve to show Europarlement’s determination to those autonomous communities in Spain which persistently and seriously breach their obligations to respect the principles upon which the Union is founded, in particular systematic  infringements of Community law in the context of urbanisation plans.

• • Presentation Margrete Auken (download UK)  - (download E)
  • Presentation George Olcina Cantos (E)
  • Presentation Carmen del Amo (E)

--> Download the overview of the conferention (UK/E/NL).

The High Court of Justice (TSJ) in Valencia has cancelled an urban program because they have no guaranteed water supply for future population. In this case the plan is annulled in the Algar sector, near La Nucia. The plan to build a total of 9168 new housing units and their corresponding golf course. This ends the urban development program designed by the mayor, Bernabé Cano, PP.    --> Read the article (E).

20 june 2009:  Open meeting at hotel Albir Garden in Albir at 11:00am-13:00pm.  

The association has an open meeting for those who are interested in the developments of the PAI  PLA DE LA SERRA' in Albir, Alfas del Pi.. The meeting starts at 11:00am and ends at 13:00pm.

The European Parliament today approved a report slamming Spain for all manner of evils relating to the Spanish property sector, including the ‘land grab’ and Ley de Costas scandals that have created so much misery for home owners in Spain.

The report, by Danish MEP (Greens) Margrete Auken, paints a depressing picture of developers and corrupt politicians trampling over private property rights and the environment in pursuit of their own enrichment, whilst the authorities look the other way. This is the 3rd EU report slamming Spain for foul practices in its property sector in almost as many years.

The non-binding report, approved in a plenary vote by 349 in favour, 110 against, and 114 abstentions, lambasts Spain for:

• Violating individual property rights by forcing owners to “cede legitimately acquired private property without due process and proper compensation,” and “pay arbitrary costs for unrequested and often unnecessary infrastructure development.” (also known as ‘land grab‘ laws)
• Arbitrarily and retroactively using the 1998 Ley de Costas, or Coastal Law,.
• Pursuing rampant, speculative building programmes with little regard for the environment, the needs of society, or Spain’s cultural heritage.
• Encouraging unsustainable macro-urbanisations without sufficient water resources.
• Violating EU public procurement procedures
  
• Failing to provide timely and meaningful justice, leading to a “widespread lack of confidence among the petitioners in the Spanish judicial system as an effective means of obtaining redress and justice.”
• Allowing corruption to become endemic,
  

The report also calls on Spain to compensate individual property owners who are “victims of urbanisation abuse who have suffered as a result of the application of the provisions of existing legislation.” The report also says that people “who have bought property in Spain in good faith, only to find that the transaction has been declared illegal, should have the right to appropriate compensation through the Spanish courts.”

 Here you can see that our president  Marco Perotti hands over the information on he PAI in Alfaz del Pi to Mr Hammerstein and Mrs Auken from the  EU.

Our association represents the neighbours of Alfaz del Pí affected by the many development plans which are being prepared in near silence.

Large areas in Alfaz del Pí are affected by urbanistic reorganisation.

We are concerned, affected by it, and we are organising against it.

Town Hall doesn’t respond yet to our complaints, nor to our requests to adapt the development plans to the needs of the people who live here: us.  

11february 2009:  23/11 votes against Spain in European Parliament.  

Margrete Auken, the danish Member of European Parliament interviewed after the voting about the urnistic aburses and violation of owner rights in Spain.

January 16th 2009:  Veïns de L’Alfàs reports urbanistic abuse in Alfaz del Pi to members of European Parliament .

Association presents report about urbanistic abuse in Alfaz del Pi to members of European Parliament Auken and Hammerstein.

November 18th 2008:  OPEN HOUSE: Sunday 23 November at 11am at the address of our association, with David Byrne, at Carrer de la Serra, 31 in Albir.

We have meanwhile people associated to us in relation to other development plans in our village, and people affected who may lose their house as a consequence of the new coastal law. For our other members as well as for people interested and/or having questions about the development plans in Alfaz del Pi we're organising an Open House: OPEN HOUSE: Sunday 23 November at 11am at the address of our association, with David Byrne, at
Carrer de la Serra, 31 in Albir.

--> Read the article

October 8th 2008:  Mayor announces modification PAI "Pla de la Sierra'

In the newspaper Información Mayor of Alfaz del Pi announces a modification of 'our' PAI 'Pla de la Sierra'. so no houses have to be demolished (we question this!). This modification will be done because of the objections of the  owners, the meetings with our association and AUN.

We would like to receive the suggested alteration of the PAI and study it before reacting. But we are happy with the fact that townhall starts reacting on our complaints. However, we are not satisfied to read that we have to pay for the infrastructure and urbanisation. We keep you posted on further developments.

August 18th 2008:  European Congress about land abuse in Spain  --> watch the interview (E)

The congress was a big success with 200 attendees. They confirmed the growing concern under the inhabitants of Alfaz del Pi about the plans to double the number of inhabitants from 29,000 to 69,000 inwoners.

Also our association is growing fast: over 240 people are already connected to our association and we already have over 1,900 signatures of  people supporting us.