PRESS RELEASE
The Javea Town Hall asks the PATFOR not to classify developed and undeveloped urban areas in the municipality as forestland
Javea. Friday, 27th April 2012.
In last night's full session, the Local Council of Javea approved the allegations against the Forestry Action Plan of the Comunidad Valenciana The first is to exclude forest land from areas identified as urban or for urban development under the current General Plan, as this would create legal uncertainty. According to explanations by Town Planning Councillor, Pere Sapena, if the land is classified as forestland when building, it is mandatory to receive a favourable report from the Consellería in Valencia, entailing bureaucratic complications and a delay in the process. The Town Hall alone has 200 plots marked as urban or for urban development that have now been marked as forestland, which is an indication of the huge number of properties that are affected.
Sapena also believes that the PATFOR should not weaken the municipal autonomy by deciding what areas should be classified as forested or protected, as it is the right of the local authority when drafting the General Plan.
The remaining objections to the PATFOR are more technical and emphasize the need to clarify the safety of the transition zone bordering forested land and exempting from registration houses already within forested land and in need of restoration. The allegations proposed by the Municipal Council of Urbanism and Environment, were endorsed by all the parties of the Local Council except Bloc Centristas, who abstained.
A motion to make a specific amendment to the General Plan was also approved.The amendment was made in the Senioles area since an aparthotel building project has been presented there.
