The DANA disaster that has caused 223 deaths in the province of Valencia has not modified the roadmap drawn up by the Valencian Government of Carlos Mazón since his arrival to the presidency in mid-2023 aimed at recovering the macro-urbanism of the last century that led in the bursting of the real estate bubble at the end of 2007.
The tragic flood has only forced the Consell to make some more cosmetic than far-reaching announcements, but the reality is that far from precautionarily paralyzing the different urban developments reactivated to analyze their viability (most of them on the coast and many in floodable areas), the processing of all of them continues. And not only that, but facilities continue to be given to builders.
Recently, the regional executive approved a decree law that has not yet been published in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat (DOGV) and that contemplates urgent urban planning measures to facilitate reconstruction tasks after the flood, such as the possible transfer of industrial estates.
Through this decree law, the Generalitat will be able to process special urban reconstruction plans aimed at creating and organizing land for the construction of housing, as well as the relocation of industrial or tertiary estates, the integration of the infrastructures that are necessary and, with general, to facilitate reconstruction tasks.
In addition, a review of the Sectoral Territorial Action Plan on Flood Risk Prevention in the Valencian Community (Patricova) and the modification of the Garden Law, and by extension of the Territorial Action Plan (PAT) of the Orchard and the Consell de l’Horta, which in practice will involve removing obstacles to the realization of different constructions that may collide with the protection of the orchard.
As this newspaper reported, it is false that the Law and the PAT of La Huerta prevent the execution of the channeling works of the Poyo or Saleta ravines, as recognized last July by the Department of Environment, Infrastructure and Territory in writing in response to a request from the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ), in which the project was approved, conditional on the presentation of an integration study. landscape.
Despite these announcements, just one month after DANA, the PP and Vox approved the construction of hotels 200 meters from the coast through an administrative simplification decree. With the Territorial Action Plan for the Coastal Green Infrastructure (Pativel) approved in 2018 by the Botanical Government, it was only allowed 500 meters from the coast and with very limited dimensions and characteristics.
Furthermore, as this editorial reported, the Pativel protects 7,500 hectares of land on the coast, of which 1,100 are in flood-prone areas. Being on land that was already developable, if the legislation is eliminated, that land will be susceptible to development, unless prevented by new regulations such as the Valencian Coastal Law or the Patricova reform.
The Mazón Government also has a proposal underway to modify the Territorial Planning, Urban Planning and Landscape Law (LOTUP) that leads to leaving urban planning in the hands of the promoters, so that they could even have the capacity to modify general plans, an exclusive competence of the town councils.
Furthermore, the recently announced protected housing decree increases the maximum price per module, going from 2,200 euros square meters to 2,400 euros.
The professor of Geography at the University of Alicante, Jorge Olcina, recently stated in statements to La Vanguardia that “the problem of the Valencian Community is that it wants to return to the real estate boom; That is what is worrying, that the promise of another alternative model has been forgotten and rapid growth and accelerated real estate development are pursued.”
More than 18,000 homes on the coast
In addition to protecting land that could be developed on the coast until then, the Pativel gave various projects that were already in process a period of five years to begin construction. That deadline was met in May 2023. Otherwise, the regulations require that the land, until now developable, be converted into protected rural land, which would therefore not accommodate the construction of real estate. These are the integrated action programs (PAI) of Torreblanca Golf, Playa del Puig, Bega de Cullera (known as Manhattan), Brosquil, Mareny de Tavernes, Rafelcaid in Gandia and Cala Mosca in Orihuela, which add up to a total area of 5.4 million square meters and would involve the construction of 18,000 homes.
Added to these are the construction of 20 hotels, 2,300 homes and three shopping centers in Benidorm. The City Council will soon submit the urbanization project of the Partial Plan 1/1 ‘Ensanche Levante’ to public information for a period of 45 days.
Some of these projects are also in flood zones. One case is the PAI Sant Gregori Golf in Borriana, which foresees the development of 2.5 million square meters of land, with some 6,000 homes and an 18-hole golf course. The City Council approved last October in a plenary session (before DANA), without the opposition of any political group, to directly assume the urbanization of the Sant Gregori area that affects more than 2.5 million pending square meters to develop on the coast of the municipality. In this regard, municipal sources have assured that the PAI was approved before the Patricova came into force and that it includes a plan to reduce the risk in the event of floods, specifically, a canal to drain the Anna River in the event of a flood.
The El Puig development is also located in a flood zone. The execution of this PAI, known as ‘La Casota’, will involve the construction of between 400 and 450 homes, of which 200 would be in towers, 200 in semi-detached houses and about 25 single-family homes. Municipal sources have also assured that the project has the mandatory plan with corrective measures to mitigate the risk of flooding. We will see if a DANA like the one on October 29 in Valencia occurs.
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