Santa Cruz Council Urges Urgent Action to Save Historic Balneario from Collapse

The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council is calling for urgent action to save the city’s historic old Balneario (Spa) from collapse. The building, which has been abandoned since 1992, is owned by the Canary Islands Government, and local officials are now demanding immediate repairs to prevent it from falling into ruin.

During a recent plenary session, the council proposed forming a working group with the regional government, the Island Council (Cabildo), and the Port Authority to decide the site's future. All parties agree that stabilizing the structure is the first priority, a move backed by local activists who have criticized past efforts for failing to stop the building's decay.

The project is complicated by the building's location on port land, which places it outside standard city planning rules. Previous attempts to repurpose the site—such as a proposal to turn it into a healthcare center for the Anaga district—were blocked by the Port Authority because the site must be used for port-related activities. This administrative deadlock highlights the ongoing struggle to preserve heritage sites located within restricted port areas.

The council session also addressed several other pressing municipal issues:

• EU Funding: Officials expressed concern that the June 2026 deadline for "Next Generation" European funds is too tight to complete nearly 300 million euros worth of decarbonization projects.
• Rural Services: The council discussed the lack of basic utilities in rural areas like El Cresal, where residents currently rely on their own water and energy sources. The government hopes to resolve this through recent updates to the Anaga Rural Plan.
• Administrative Changes: The council swore in a new member, Heriberta Ángeles Granado, and addressed the departure of Eduardo Medina. They also approved measures to support the non-profit sector and confirmed the continued operation of the Anaga Nursery School.

Overall, the meeting underscored the city's struggle to balance historical preservation with the need for better coordination between government agencies to get vital projects moving.