Güímar Council Votes to Study 30 Hectares for Commercial Use

Güímar City Council has approved starting technical studies to see if more land near the Industrial Park can be used for commercial purposes. Only the ruling party voted for this measure.

The plan involves about 30 hectares (around 74 acres) of rural land. The idea is to change its designation to commercial land to help the local economy grow. This proposal will now go to the Cabildo de Tenerife and the Canary Islands Government for their support.

The agreement specifically talks about "tertiary use," which means land for shops, restaurants, offices, and other services. This point sparked debate, as opposition parties worried this first step could open the door to excessive commercial development.

During the meeting, the ruling party stated that the only goal is to expand the industrial park and understand the town's land requirements.

Mayor Luisa Castro stressed that this is just an initial step and won't lead to immediate building or changes. She said it wouldn't happen for "several legislative terms" – meaning many years from now. The town's Secretariat also pointed out that the agreement is very much in its early stages.

The PSOE party brought up the financial side. They calculated that if the land's use is changed, its value could increase by up to 150 million euros. They believe this would be an "urbanistic windfall," meaning huge profits for a select few.

Unidas Sí Podemos raised concerns about protecting the local area. They noted that the land is near Camino del Socorro and Malpaís de Güímar, which are important for their history and environment. Coalición Canaria, another party, warned that more commercial development could harm small local businesses.

On top of all this, there's another important factor: the planned route for the Southern train. A town report shows that some of the land in question lies within the path set aside for this future railway.