Residents in Mijas could soon see long-standing inequalities in basic services come to an end after the town hall approved a plan to take over 96 urbanisations.
For years, these complexes – despite being classified as consolidated urban land – have operated in a legal grey area, with uncertainty over who is responsible for maintaining roads, street lighting, drainage and green spaces.
The result has been a clear imbalance, with residents – including many British homeowners – paying the same taxes as others in the municipality, but not always receiving the same level of services.
By bringing these urbanisations under full municipal responsibility, the council hopes to eliminate legal and administrative uncertainty while improving day-to-day living conditions for thousands of residents.
It would also unlock access to public funding and grants for infrastructure upgrades, something that has been difficult until now due to the irregular status of many of these developments.
The process began in January with a public consultation, allowing residents to give input before the regulation was drafted.
The framework is based on regional legislation, including Andalucia’s land sustainability law (LISTA), which sets out how such regularisations can be carried out.
In the same council session, officials also approved a new Territorial Emergency Plan for Mijas.
The plan introduces a ‘pre-emergency’ phase designed to improve early response and coordination between services such as Local Police, fire crews and Civil Protection.
Councillors also signed off on a new €73 fee for civil weddings, alongside a budget modification worth more than €18.4 million.
The funding will go towards areas including local policing, municipal services, sports facilities and home care support.
Finally, the council backed a motion calling for urgent support measures for the tourism sector, warning of the economic impact caused by the disruption to the high-speed rail link between Malaga and Madrid.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
