La Orotava Council Rejects Housing Tax, Raises Vape Sale Age to 18
La Orotava council unanimously approved raising the legal age for selling energy drinks and vapes to under-18s, while rejecting proposals to regulate property tax and implement a tourist accommodation moratorium during a debate on the housing crisis.
Housing was a major topic at yesterday's La Orotava council meeting, with several proposals from the political group Asamblea por La Orotava. These included regulating property tax, putting a temporary stop to new tourist accommodation in the Villa area, and reviewing the council's social housing.
However, councillors couldn't agree on how to tackle the housing crisis, despite the council having limited powers in this area. The proposal to regulate property tax was rejected. Critics argued it would reduce the number of homes available and lacked support from both the finance and legal departments.
Regarding the idea of a tourism moratorium, only the PSOE party supported it. The Urban Planning Councilor, Narciso Pérez, explained that the council hasn't issued new licenses for tourist accommodation because they aren't covered by the current General Plan. He stated that the law requires a detailed assessment first. This assessment would help decide how many holiday homes are appropriate for the municipality and where they should be located. Therefore, he concluded, a moratorium isn't necessary at this time.
The Finance Councilor, Felipe David Benítez, provided details on the council's social housing. He confirmed there are 72 properties in total, located across various areas: 10 on La Vera/Magistrado Barrera street, 12 in San Andrés, 9 in Huerta del Moral, 9 in Madres del Barrio, 1 on Paseo Domínguez Afonso, 6 in La Perdoma, 18 on San José street, 1 in Pino Alto, 2 in Los Frontones, 2 at Taoro street number 48, 1 at La Dehesa Baja number 23, and one in the Carmat I building in Puerto de la Cruz.
In a separate decision, the council unanimously approved a motion to raise the legal age for selling energy drinks and vapes to under-18s. All political groups agreed that young people consuming these products early is a worrying trend, given the serious risks to their physical and mental health. To address this, the council will increase information and awareness campaigns in schools, with parent-teacher associations (AMPAs), and with youth and health groups. They will also recommend that shops display these products separately from regular items and limit advertising for vapes.