The fate of the Los Silos swimming pool will be decided by November: authorities are awaiting permission from Madrid.
The government of the Canary Islands is awaiting a decision from the Spanish government regarding authorization to restore the swimming pool in Los Silos, the fate of which is being decided after years of bureaucratic delays.
To decide the fate of the swimming pool in Los Silos, the authorities of the Canary Islands have been waiting for more than a year for an important document from the Spanish government. This document is needed to decide whether to grant permission to resume the pool's operation.
The local authorities requested this document back in September 2025, although the application for a new permit was submitted in August 2024. It turns out that more than a year passed before the local authorities contacted the central government.
The mayor of Los Silos, Carmen Luz Baso Lorenzo, says that due to the local authorities' silence regarding the pool, she went to Madrid to find out what the matter was.
There, she learned that the request for the report had been submitted by the local authorities of the Canary Islands.
The Spanish government has two months to respond to this request. It is expected that by around November 10, it will be known whether permission will be granted for the pool in Los Silos. This report will be crucial for the local authorities of the Canary Islands.
A representative of the local authorities, Antonio Acosta, stated that they support facilities such as the pool because they provide an opportunity for everyone to swim.
The first permit for the pool in Los Silos was issued back in 1968 for 99 years. In 1988, when new laws were introduced, the validity of this permit could have been extended for another 30 years.
In 2018, the Spanish authorities announced that the permit would expire on June 29. However, the then city authorities did not extend it due to an "administrative error."
In 2019, the socialists submitted a document of intent to continue the operation of the pool, but it had no legal force. Two days before the elections, an act of return was signed, and the city officially lost the pool. The pool last operated in the summer of that year.
During the coronavirus pandemic, in 2020, a new project was presented to obtain a permit and a temporary use permit. In the summer of 2020, work began to prepare the pool for transfer to the state. This cost almost 200,000 euros.
In 2021, Mayor Macarena Fuentes stated that the Spanish authorities were not interested in extending the permit, and talks began about demolishing the pool.
In 2022, the Spanish authorities refused the city a new permit for the pool, although the local service gave a positive opinion. The then city authorities did not challenge this decision in court.
In 2023, part of the authority over the coast was transferred to the government of the Canary Islands.
In 2024, the new city authorities appealed the 2022 permit refusal. At the same time, they applied for a temporary permit. The appeal is currently being considered in court.
In August 2024, the city submitted an application for a new permit along with a new pool project. There has been no response yet. In September 2025, city residents staged a protest, and Mayor Carmen Luz Baso Lorenzo met with the Minister of Territorial Policy.