Planning permission

As owners are aware, all works to the outside of properties on Sol Golf 1 phases 1 and 2 need to go first to the planning office and then if approved the certificate of approval and the plans need to go before the Community as a whole before works should commence.

We have stated on many occasions that unless the work has a licence from the Town Hall that it could, and usually has to be, taken down sometimes straight away but sometimes years later.
(We have checked with the Town Hall and there is no permitted over or outer building allowed on Pau 8 despite what builders or fitters may say).

The order of demolition has occurred on several urbanisations recently on the Torretas (near Carrefour) and now the one reported on in the Leader today (below). Please check before you build with not only the Town Hall but also the Community.

TAKEN FROM THE LEADER 09//072008

Several residents of the Parque de las Naciones urbanisation in Torrevieja got a nasty shock recently when letters from the Town Hall, ordering them to pull down extensions to their homes, arrived on their doorsteps. Additionally, they are in danger of having the water supply cut off.
Several houses have had existing patios glazed in, which has not extended the houses as such, although the enclosed area is now greater. Others have added glass and aluminium conservatories built on the flat roof of the property, which is somewhat different as it does extend the house, even though it is upwards rather than outwards.
The problem has arisen because none of these extensions have been approved by the Town Hall, who will not release the certificates of habitation for those properties until the structures are pulled down. All the properties are still receiving water from the builder’s supply, even though they were actually built in 2001. A proper water supply will not be connected until the owners have their certificates of habitation and the builder (Eden) has now threatened to cut off the water from his supply if the extensions are not removed.
Jean and John Cooper purchased one of these properties in January 2002, having moved from the U.K. and not having a clue about building regulations in Spain. In 2003 they decided to have their front porch glazed in and also to have a 5m x 3m conservatory put on their roof. They consulted the community president, who assured them that there was no problem if the extensions were constructed of glass and aluminium, as they would be classed as temporary structures. He himself has the same glazed in porch.
They then approached a local company, Torry 2000, who gave them the same advice and proceeded to construct the extensions, at a cost of 7500€ in total. Several other properties in the same street of the urbanisation had similar work carried out, as indeed have many others of the 400 houses on the complex.
All was fine until the letters from the Town Hall arrived last month. Jean has since been to see Graham Knight at the Foreigners Office in Torrevieja, who she says was not too helpful, simply directing her to go to the Town Hall with a translator. This she did and was told that there was no alternative to the demolition order. It is not uncommon for unlicensed extensions or properties to be allowed to remain if a licence is applied and paid for retrospectively, along with a fine sometimes. There is no leeway in this case however, according to the Town Hall, who confirmed that when our reporter visited the Urbanisation Office there.
In the case of the glazed in porches, it all seems a bit heavy handed, as they do not affect anyone else. One would have thought that, in the current financial climate, the Town Hall would be glad of some additional income from granting the licences and maybe levying a fine, rather than making the Cooper’s and their neighbours lose a considerable amount of money as well as a harmless part of their house.
The Cooper’s and others have engaged a solicitor, who has arranged for an architect to visit their property this week. They desperately hope that between them a solution can be found.