Marbella Mayor’s Mansion in Vega del Jaque: A Controversial Issue
The Citizen Movement “Not a meter of Marbella for another population” has responded to the recent statements of the Mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, regarding her mansion. The group reminded that the mansion is located on rural land, which is now intended to be converted into urban land under the new planning.
Mayor Muñoz’s Statements and Citizen Movement’s Response
Last Friday, Muñoz made statements assuring that there would be no changes in the lands of Vega del Jaque, where her mansion is located. She claimed that it was the Junta that moved the boundary between Marbella and Benahavís. The citizen movement, which has been following this issue since its inception in 2015, responded to the mayor. They reminded that the boundaries between the two municipalities have remained the same since 1873 and “have not been altered since then”.
Land Classification and Boundary Alteration
As a result, in the area of Vega del Jaque (Vega del Colorado), the lands that are in Marbella “are and have always been rural”. The group reiterated: “The part of Vega del Jaque that belongs to Marbella is rural land; and the part that is from Benahavís is urban”. They explained that by altering the boundary and placing in Benahavís lands that were from Marbella, the land was reclassified, legalizing the constructions made without a license and significantly revaluing the land.
Construction on Rural Land and Mayor’s Mansion
Furthermore, they added that “the construction on Marbella’s rural land with a license from Benahavís was done without a license, as one municipality cannot grant a license to build on the land of another. Also, it was impossible for Marbella to grant a license to build on rural land”. This would be the situation of the mayor’s mansion, which she said last Friday that “is not irregular” and that it has “its planning since 2006”.
Citizen Movement’s Perspective on Boundary Alteration
For the citizen movement, “it is reasonable to think that the operation of boundary alteration that was planned, had two phases: the first one with a revaluation of about thirty million euros and the second one of about sixty million”. They also reminded that “there are still lands of Marbella erroneously registered in the Registry and in the Cadastre as if they were from Benahavís, with the consequence that the taxes are improperly collected by Benahavís”.
Attempts to Change Boundaries and Current Situation
The last attempt to change the boundaries was made in 2018 with the approval of the Consolidated Text and the Adaptation of the PGOU of 1986 to the LOUA. Then the anti-boundary movement went to court and both the Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA) and the Supreme Court ruled in their favor, preventing this last move by the mayor. Now, given the impossibility of continuing with the boundaries, closed at all levels, what Muñoz is trying to do is to pass these lands from rural to urban with the new planning that is being developed.
Mayor’s Mansion on Sale
As reported by Marbella24horas in 2016, Ángeles Muñoz put her mansion up for sale for 12 million euros, although she has not managed to sell it so far.
