Santa Eulalia council plans to implement a suspension on all future tourist rental licences for single-use properties (in other words villas) throughout the municipality that will come into effect until a final decision is made whether or not to allow this type of economic activity.
Mayor Vicent Marí, has already indicated which way he would like to see the town going commenting that “you cannot ‘touristify’ the countryside indefinitely” and advocates country houses being used for residential use only.
The decision to suspend new licences was agreed unanimously by Santa Eulalia councillors in their February meeting and has now been passed on to the Island Council for approval later this month. Ibiza Town has already announced a similar suspension of tourist licences for houses although there aren’t many of this type in that municipality.
Santa Eulalia will delay the final decision on new licences until a full study has been carried out although the Mayor has been very clear with his thoughts on the matter: “The tourist use of houses must be controlled, you cannot create unlimited places, holiday homes must have some limits”, he also acknowledged the connection with Ibiza’s lack of affordable housing.
Although the suspension of new licences will be ‘provisional’, Santa Eulalia’s Mayor admitted that it “could last for years” given the pace of the administrative procedures necessary to modify planning laws and introduce changes that are deemed appropriate.
In recent months, Ibiza’s 5 separate municipalities (San Antonio, San Jose, Ibiza Town, Santa Eulalia and Sant Joan) have sent their proposals to the Island Council for formal approval later this month so that the new rental laws will comes into force for this summer. Subsequently, the municipalities will have to adapt their planning laws to reflect the new limitations imposed on tourist rentals.
Sant Joan has also confirmed that they will prohibit tourist rentals in private residential apartments from being rented to tourists after there was an initial outcry when Mayor Antoni Marí Marí, ‘Carraca’ said they were considering allowing this type of activity. After pressure from the island council they have fallen into line with the rest of the island so now it will be illegal to rent a private apartment in a communal block for less than 30 nights anywhere on the island.
Source: Diario de Ibiza
"MAN IN SAN AN" by Martin Makepeace 