Arona Approves 118 Major Permits, Ending Stagnation
Arona City Council has dramatically increased its approval of major building permits, issuing 118 different types, including 26 for 264 new homes, in the last eleven months, a significant jump attributed to internal reorganization and staff efforts.
Arona City Council has seen a big jump in major building permits approved over the past year, according to new figures from the Urban Planning department. This is a significant change, as the department reported that in the five years before this period, only five such permits were issued. This slow pace showed how difficult it was to get things done in an area crucial for Arona's growth.
Over the last eleven months, the Urban Planning department has approved 26 major building permits. These permits will lead to the construction of 264 new homes.
Looking at all major permits, not just those for new homes, the total is even higher. In the same eleven months, 118 different types of major permits were approved. These include eleven land division permits, six demolitions, thirteen pipeline installations, three commercial spaces, 24 offices, ten studios, and projects involving paddle tennis courts and agricultural farms, among others. On top of this, 137 notifications for major works were also processed during this time, according to the Arona governing group.
The City Council stated in a press release that this boost in activity is due to an internal reorganization within the Urban Planning department. They also credited the hard work of their technical and administrative staff, who focused on clearing a backlog of old applications.
Arona's Mayor, Fátima Lemes, noted that "the figures show a real change in how Urban Planning works. We are making progress in processing applications and addressing a demand that has existed for a long time."
Javier Baute, the Councillor for Urban Planning, explained that their goal was "to streamline management and move applications forward." He added, "The pace of work has picked up significantly in recent months, and this is clear from the number of permits we've approved."
Mr. Baute also highlighted the stark contrast: "In the five years before this period, only five major building permits were issued, which was clearly not enough for Arona. However, in just the last eleven months, the Technical Office has handled 1,028 different types of applications."