Building Permits to be Made Easier to Obtain

Leading the way in Spain with innovative concepts isn’t something Ronda, an historically important city, is best known for, but in recent times the Ayuntamiento has lead the way forward with interesting ideas that promise to transform that image of the city.

Building consent has been a major bottleneck for homeowners, business owners, architects and builders, with even minor consents taking an average of a month and a half to be approved, however the most recent announcement from Francisco Cañestro, deputy mayor of Ronda, and José María Martin de Haro, the councillor for urban planning, a commitment to review and approve minor building applications within a day has been promised.

This commitment is made possible by recent changes to town hall opening hours and commitments to efficiency being championed by Cañestro. At this stage the same day promise only applies to small planning applications, where a simple visual inspection by the Policia Local or planning officers will verify the accuracy of the application.

Major renovations are ruled out of the quicker approvals process, however it could apply to projects such as roof replacement, changing windows, hanging commercial signs etc. Fees for planning consent will remain the same, but when asked what impact this will have on busines in the city, one local retailer related the story of waiting 8 months for permission to hang a sign above her shop door.

The new process will streamline applications and a ‘yes or no’ answer can be expected within the day. Property owners will thus have the uncertainty of their application removed, since even a denial of permission can be acted on much quicker, thus saving architectural and builders fees.

Ronda Today asked Charlotte Wilmot, the councillor for commerce and foreign resident if this announcement would be good for business in Ronda, who agreed this is a great step forward and further improves the service offered by the town hall. A great deal of anxiety and frustration will now be removed for those undertaking planning consent.