Canary Islands Government Approves Site for New Granadilla de Abona Courthouse

The Canary Islands government has officially approved the land offered by the Granadilla de Abona City Council for a new courthouse. This decision is a significant win for the local council, which has been under pressure from business groups in southern Tenerife to merge the Arona and Granadilla judicial districts.

The chosen site is located near the municipal offices with easy access to the TF-1 motorway and offers 7,000 square meters of buildable space. Regional officials believe the location is ideal for a new facility that would secure the future of the justice system in the area. The project will now move into the design and funding stages.

The debate over where these services should be located has been driven largely by the Southern Business Circle (CEST). The group has argued that the current system is inefficient, citing operational issues and the lack of a dedicated Social Court in Arona to handle the region's high volume of labor disputes. However, this push for a merger is countered by Granadilla de Abona’s rapid growth; with over 70,000 residents, it is one of the fastest-growing areas in the Canary Islands.

Mayor José Domingo Regalado welcomed the government's decision, noting that it validates the council's efforts to keep the courts in the municipality. He emphasized that the goal has always been to modernize facilities for the Granadilla judicial district, which was established in 1908 and serves more than 110,000 people across Granadilla, San Miguel de Abona, Arico, Fasnia, and Vilaflor.

This decision is a major development in the ongoing discussion about how to best organize judicial districts. By choosing to strengthen existing services in Granadilla rather than merging them, the government is prioritizing a decentralized approach that keeps legal services close to the citizens and businesses that rely on them in this rapidly expanding region.