Mijas town hall approves takeover of 96 historic housing developments

The Municipal Ordinance Regulating the Handover of Historic Housing Developments was approved at Wednesday's full council meeting following the resolution of representations submitted during the administrative process, which began on 26 January.

The measure was backed by the governing coalition of the PP, Vox and Por Mi Pueblo, while PSOE and Ciudadanos voted against it.

The town hall said the approval "lays the foundations for effective equality for the people of Mijas, regardless of where they live", addressing a long-standing demand from residents of the developments.

The process will clarify who is responsible for maintaining essential infrastructure and services, including sewerage and water supply networks, street lighting, roads and green spaces. The by-law also allows land within the developments to be formally registered in the town hall's name, resolving existing legal uncertainties.

Around 87 per cent of Mijas's urban land is occupied by housing developments, including the 96 historic developments and those established later.

The town hall said residents of the historic developments have paid property tax, known as IBI, and other taxes in the same way as residents of urban centres but have not always received the same level of public services because of the lack of legal clarity over their status.

"In many cases, homeowners' associations haven't been able to meet the costs of the conservation and maintenance work, and this has resulted in problems affecting health, the environment and road safety," the town hall said. "These are the situations that the new by-law will allow us to resolve."

The ordinance is based on mechanisms provided for under Andalucía's regional legislation, particularly the Law on the Promotion of Territorial Sustainability in Andalucía, known as LISTA. The legislation provides a framework for regularising long-established situations on the ground.

The process began in January with a mandatory 15-working-day public consultation aimed at identifying the problems affecting the historic developments and possible regulatory and non-regulatory solutions.

The full council initially approved the text in March before opening a period for residents and other interested parties to submit representations. Those representations were resolved at Wednesday's meeting.

The full council also unanimously approved recognition for around 40 Mijas Local Police officers and one member of the public for significant actions carried out in the line of duty or for risks taken during those interventions.

The recognised actions included tackling public health offences, resuscitating people suffering cardiac arrest, stopping fleeing vehicles and providing humanitarian assistance.

The town hall said the recognition was intended to highlight actions that had benefited the community and reinforce "civic commitment, excellence in service and social cohesion".