Mayor Clarifies Situation for Residents of Las Torres

The Mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria asserts that during meetings with residents, it has been confirmed that “their homes will remain as they are now.” She emphasised that the “roadmap” remains unchanged and there are no alterations to the planning process.

Council’s Assurance

Carolina Darias, the Mayor, highlighted on Thursday that the Council has provided a “very clear response” regarding the homes in Las Torres, where residents have voiced their concerns about the potential expropriation of 127 properties. She reiterated that the “roadmap” is intact and there are no changes in the planning.

During a presentation about the Carnival poster exhibition, she stated, “We have given a very clear response from the outset, and we continue to do so” because “the government is adhering to the roadmap that we have always communicated to the residents,” with whom multiple meetings have been held.

Environmental Report Clarification

“The environmental report only impacts environmental matters and does not affect the planning process,” she stressed, as “the planning clock is reset, and we will involve the residents in that process.”

She clarified that the environmental report is a procedural step and therefore “does not allow for objections or appeals,” which is why submissions have been rejected; however, she assured that they were “taken into account.”

In meetings to inform residents, it has been confirmed that “their homes will remain unchanged,” asserting that “others have instilled fear among the residents, and they will have to explain why they did so and even apologise.”

Starting Anew with Community Engagement

“The planning process starts from scratch and will involve the residents of Las Torres and maintain the area as it is now,” she emphasised.

According to her, “the roadmap has not changed one bit, and we are not amending anything because we have nothing to amend,” as they are following the outlined steps.

The Mayor insisted that “the environmental procedure will not affect the planning process, as residents are finding out through their meetings with Geursa’s technicians.”

“We are not backtracking; it is others who have misled the residents, and I say this clearly and openly,” she underscored.

Initiation of Residents’ Meetings

Additionally, the Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria announced on Thursday that it is beginning a series of meetings with the residents of Las Torres to explain the details regarding the modification of the General Plan for Order (PGO) concerning the New High City. “This project will shape the future urban development of the area through citizen participation,” the Council stated in a communiqué.

According to the Councillor for Planning, Urban Development, and Housing, Mauricio Roque, “The residents of Las Torres can be assured, and we will communicate this to them through a participatory process that we initiated this week.”

The Council “will involve the participation of residents,” specifically those who previously submitted objections during the environmental procedure, to explain “the real situation of their homes,” Roque explained.

“Once we have the draft of the planning for the area,” he continued, “we will present it again to the residents before any initial approval, in line with our commitment to involve them in its drafting from the beginning of this process earlier this year.” “The roadmap is clear: we are commencing the file, the environmental body has completed its report, and now we proceed to draft the planning with dynamic involvement from the residents.”

Objectives of the PGO Modification

According to the Council, the local corporation’s experience with similar processes “has already yielded positive results in other areas.”

They provided the example of the Special Plan for the Historical Centre of Tamaraceite, which was approved in May “with broad political consensus.” In contrast, the Special Plan for San Juan-San José incorporated 131 of the 212 objections made by residents, “which accounts for 61.7% of the total, prior to its initial approval in June,” the statement emphasised.

The goal of the PGO modification in the New High City is to renew infrastructure, enhance services, revitalise public spaces, and improve livability while ensuring the integration of existing facilities and the preservation of natural and scenic elements in the environment.

The Council recalls that during the first phase of the procedure, the community actively participated by submitting objections within the public information period of the environmental evaluation.

This process will now enter a new phase of participation for the drafting of the final document, which the Council aims to promote collaboratively with the residents of the neighbourhoods.

Finally, the city council notes that technical staff from the Municipal Management Company of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Geursa) are meeting with those residents who submitted objections for the strategic environmental assessment to outline the current situation and the beginning of the drafting of the planning for the New High City.