Plans will go ahead

PALMA’S new General Town Management Plan (PGOU) was approved this week.

This effectively means that plans for new urbanisations and developments that were still pending can now be pro‐cessed.

Among the projects un ‐blocked by the approval of the PGOU are the develop‐ments planned in Cas Pastors, Can Fontet and Son Ximelis, as well as the new develop‐ment of Ses Fontanelles, which reconverts the com‐mercial classification of the area into residential and in‐cludes the new buildings on the main street, moving them away from the floodable part of the wetland area.

The PGOU is only the first part of the municipal develop‐ment plan to be approved, with the Detailed Manage‐ment Plan (POD) still pending.

This triggered complaints from the opposition parties at Palma Town Hall, who warned that the partial ap‐proval will lead to ‘chaos’ and delays in approving develop‐ment licences.

Holidays on wheels

TOURIST rental websites have begun offering caravans next to the beach in Mallorca for the summer season.

Ciutat Jardi and Cala Blava are the main sites where parked motorhomes and car‐avans are being offered as an alternative to hotels and tourist accommodation.

The vehicles include beds, toilets, showers, kitchens with basic kitchenware and workspaces, and are adver‐tised as ideal for holidaymak‐ers who just need some ‐where to sleep.

Prices start as low as €113 a night for minimum stays of at least three nights, while oth‐ers are offered just for overnight stays for less than €90. global environmental union of governments and civil society organisa‐tions with the common goal of protecting nature, fostering international co‐operation and providing scientific knowledge and tools to guide conserva ‐tion action.

Advantages include being literally right on the beach and just a short walk away from basic services such as laundrettes, supermarkets and bicycle rental establish‐ments.

The trend follows on from increasing numbers of tempo‐rary and long‐term workers, and even residents, being forced to live in these vehicles due to the high cost of hous‐ing and the lack of property to let on the island.

Restrictions

THE traffic authorities have announced plans to install barriers, security cameras and number plate readers during the access restrictions for pri‐vate cars on the road to Formentor lighthouse this summer.

Restrictions begin on June 1 and will continue until September 30, and the aim is to prevent the traffic problems that were reported last year, when residents and bus drivers encountered tail‐backs and were forced to carry out dangerous ma‐noeuvres to pass other vehicles.

The DGT authorities will install two automatic barriers on the Ma‐2210 towards the lighthouse on kilometres 2 and 8.8, as well as other intelli‐gent transport systems such as messaging pan‐els, number plate read‐ers, roadside gauging sta‐tions and traffic surveillance cameras. Teams of informers will be stationed by the barriers from 10am to 10.30pm every day to of‐fer information and ad‐vice to drivers.

Finally, the shuttle bus service launched in previ‐ous years will return.