Marbella’s Urban Planning Takes a Leap Forward
Marbella’s urban planning landscape is set to undergo a significant transformation. Mayor Ángeles Muñoz, along with José Eduardo Díaz, the councillor in charge, unveiled the town’s new General Plan for Municipal Planning (PGOM) on Tuesday, 28 May. The plan, which has just been approved, will be presented at the next plenary session for discussion.
Reduced Rural Land and Increased Flexibility
The new plan introduces several changes, including a decrease in rural land and increased flexibility in its usage. This will provide the municipality with new avenues for expansion. The PGOM’s primary objective is to continue simplifying and increasing the flexibility of the uses permitted by the town council within the rural land.
Development Opportunities for Rural Land
The council believes that the rural land can be developed in accordance with the regulations, allowing for the execution of strategic projects for the city that may not be feasible on urban land. The initial document from last year already accounted for an increase of nearly 13 million square meters of urban land, from 40 million in the 1986 General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) to over 52.5 million.
Incorporating More Urban Land
“We are now adding more urban land, 1% more, which will mean that we will have approximately 53 or 54 million square meters in our town,” the mayor highlighted. The PGOM document initially approved in March 2023 faced 180 objections of various types, of which 56 were upheld, 89 were rejected, 32 were not accepted, and one was withdrawn.
Marbella’s Urban Planning Based on New Law
The Marbella council is basing its urban planning on the new law of impulse for the sustainability of the territory of Andalucía (LISTA), which divides it into two documents: the General Plan for Municipal Planning (PGOM) and the Urban Development Plan (POU).
Flexible Uses for Rural Land
Mayor Muñoz emphasized the flexibility of the rural land in the PGOM, stating that it could be used for the town’s development, economic activity, and job creation. Large-scale actions, mainly related to tourism, could be implemented on this rural land, thanks to the development of extraordinary tourist uses within these regulations.
Potential Developments on Rural Land
Examples of potential developments include universities with student residences, large facilities, sports cities, social facilities, or any action that requires a location or dimension that cannot be accommodated within urban land. The mayor also mentioned the possibility of hotels with unique needs being allowed on this type of land.
Addressing Housing Needs
In addition to enabling development with the incorporation of more urban land, the document also aims to allow development in accordance with housing needs.
