Canary Islands High Court Upholds Traffic Restrictions in Punta del Hidalgo

The High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) has upheld traffic restrictions on the Camino de la Costa in Punta del Hidalgo, La Laguna. The court dismissed an appeal from the Sociedad Recreativa Piscina Charco de la Arena, ruling that the City Council has the authority to limit traffic and parking to protect the local environment.

The ruling supports a September 2022 decree by Mayor Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, which turned the area between Los Corrales Street and the San Juanito hermitage into a pedestrian zone. While parking is now prohibited, the rules still allow vehicles to pass through for deliveries or to access private homes and the club’s facilities.

The court rejected the Society’s claims that the mayor lacked the authority to issue the decree or that the measures were unjustified. Judges noted that because the road is public property, the City Council has the right to regulate it. The court also cited a report from the Agency for the Protection of the Natural Environment, which warned that heavy traffic and human activity were damaging protected habitats along the coastline.

Additionally, the court highlighted that the club operates on public land where its concession has expired, meaning the organization no longer holds the rights it previously claimed.

For the local government, this decision is a victory for its efforts to reclaim coastal areas for public use. Mayor Gutiérrez described the ruling as a major step toward protecting an ecologically sensitive area and returning it to the community, free from the impact of private vehicle traffic. The court ordered the Society to pay the legal costs of the appeal.