Axarquia foreign residents warn of the effects on economy if they leave

Axarquia foreign residents whose homes face demolition over their legality, say if they leave Spain this will have a large impact on local economies, according to Press reports.

Some 12,760 illegally built (or non-legal to be more exact) properties have been identified in the Axarquia area, of which 11,000 could benefit from the new decree.

However, there are at least 976 which are less than four years old, in which case the town halls must identify each of the and get the reports based on which licenses will be granted.

Another 859 houses are on protected land and could be demolished.

The President of Save Our Homes Axarquia, Philip Smalley, said that thousands of ex-pats with homes in areas such as La Viñuela, Alcaucín, Canillas del Aceituno and Sayalonga, are “supporting the local economy” and the association has warned the Junta de Andalucia of the risks if the decree planned to legalise homes throughout the region doesn’t meet their expectations.

The Junta de Andalucia Councillor for Public Works and Housing, Josefina Cruz, said that the decree will be approved in November or December, but Smalley, who is a councillor for the Partido Andalucista in La Viñuela Town Hall, said the foreign residents in the Axarquia area wouldn’t be happy until they saw the content.

Smalley said that SOHA does not accept the classification proposed in the draft of the decree of ‘assimilated to the law out of regulation’ which could be applied to most illegally built houses in the area, because it gives the owners no legal guarantees. He also said that he does not agree that the town halls which granted the licenses should now have the power to decide whether or not a building is demolished.

By Jennifer Leighfield