The Alcalde (again)!

Anyone reading here knows I don't have a lot of time for corrupt politicians, but the man himself is in trouble it seems.
Spain's national newspapers have carried stories about how he is living in a house without planning permission, and not only him, but many of the villagers here too.

There is a law in Spain where you are not allowed to build more than one property for every 100square metres of rustic land. (or something like that - don't quote me).

Seems the mayor (alcalde) got together with several business including the mayor of Benidorm and Domingo the Muscaret builder and between them they decided to change the Urban Law and allow house-building on rustic land. They dreamed up plans to build enough new houses to attract 20,000 to the village.Now remember that even with all the incomers, Relleu only has a population of round 1,300 just now.

They then issued the planning permission which Valencia in due course knocked back,because it was illegal!

Meanwhile, they bought up tracts of land and applied to the council, here in the village, to build tractor sheds.
You won't be surprised to learn that their own applications went through in just 2 days!

Instead of building tractor sheds however, they built huge houses with swimming pools!

Individual houses, you understand. They couldn't built the properties they wanted to, but they wanted to live well. The mayor and other members of the council now live in nice big houses out on the campo.

All was well, until a neighbour complained because one of the houses blocked off a public right of way where sheep graze or were moved from one place to another.

This neighbour was also a member of the opposing political party.

He kicked up such a fuss that the town architect was forced to admit that the house in question should not have been built.

It is the law here in Spain, that if your house is declared illegal, your electricity and water must be cut off immediately.
This did not happen and there is no sign of it happening.

Meanwhile the mayor's own house is also illegal, and according to the newspapers, so are many many others on the campo.

Now I read somewhere that Spain has the highest land mass in Europe, but among the lowest population.

Shouldn't Spain relax its rules about building on rustic land? Let's be honest, without affordable irrigation, nothing much is going to grow apart from olives and almonds which in today's economic climate, are not worth much.

How much better is it to have housing? Housing, better transport, better roads, a public transport system, a telephone line or two, and we are almost in the 21st century.