The Plenary approves the compatibility of municipal land use, bringing to more than 1,200 the number of subsidized housing units that can begin to be built

The City Council, after adhering to the Housing Decree of the Junta de Andalucía, can project almost a thousand VPOs on municipal land that until now had other public uses.

To this initiative must be added two other projects that will involve the construction of 308 VPO in the sector of Camino de Cortes.

The Plenary of the Estepona City Council today unanimously approved the compatibility of municipal use that will enable the authorization to allocate a total of 36 municipal plots for the construction of subsidized housing.

This has been possible thanks to the adhesion of the Consistory to the Decree-Law 1/2025 of urgent measures on housing, approved by the Junta de Andalucía, to promote the construction of VPO. The regional text allows the construction of public rental housing on plots of equipment that have no residential use so far, without the need to modify the planning instruments, allowing the streamlining of VPO projects.

Since last April, the date on which the City Council joined this regional initiative, municipal technicians have been working on the list of public plots that could have this social use. Based on the parameters set out in the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) of Estepona, a total of 738 homes could be built on these plots, which are distributed throughout the municipality.

The mayor, José María García Urbano, explained that this is an important social measure that has been made possible once the regulatory instrument that makes it possible. These plots are located in sectors in which the sufficiency for the necessary public allocations for the population are guaranteed by other equipment soils executed and / or planned in their vicinity.

The councilman recalled that along with this measure, is working on other initiatives to promote access to housing for people with more difficulties. In this regard, it should be mentioned that in addition to releasing these nearly 40 plots for VPO, the City Council will tender in the coming days four plots where you can build another 200 public housing for rental regime. These properties, which will be located both in the east and west of the municipality, will have an affordable rental price to facilitate access to housing for young people or residents with fewer resources.

In addition to these initiatives, there are two other projects that will involve the construction of 308 subsidized housing units in the Camino de Cortes sector. Specifically, two preliminary urban planning projects have already been approved for the construction of 110 subsidized housing units in the area of Camino de Cortes Sur, and on the other hand, a bidding process is being finalized for two other plots that will allow the construction of 199 subsidized housing units in Camino de Cortes Norte.

This tender will have two legal particularities that will enable these soils can even be acquired at zero cost, which would result in a lower final price of housing. In this regard, he pointed out that the plots for VPO will go out to tender with a maximum price set by the City Council itself, so that those interested in building will have the opportunity to offer a lower amount for the same. In addition, the companies bidding to build these VPOs will obtain a higher score by the contracting table when they offer a lower final price to the buyers of these homes.

As for the development planned for the Camino de Cortes Sur sector, the City Council has approved the two preliminary urban planning projects and the building permit will be granted in the near future.

Likewise, the Consistory continues to process other urban development projects that will allow the construction of 300 subsidized housing units in Camino de Monterroso and another 800 in the Guadalobón and Arroyo Vaquero areas.

Approval of ordinances for Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMV)

During the plenary session, the Ordinance Regulating the Circulation and Use of Personal Mobility Vehicles (VMP), which includes the general regulations of the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), was also definitively approved. Thus, both the penalties for non-compliance with the no-passing signs and other basic rules for the use of PMVs are regulated. Among them, the prohibition of driving on sidewalks or urban tunnels, or the use of headphones or cell phones while driving.

The purpose of this municipal regulation is to reinforce the commitment to improve public space and road safety, and to promote new modes of mobility, clean energy, quality of life and peaceful coexistence among citizens.

The new ordinance will promote road safety and ensure that the circulation of Personal Mobility Vehicles is carried out in a manner adapted to state regulations and safe, making it compatible with the different uses of public roads. Likewise, the conditions of use of this type of vehicles are established, clarifying the requirements for the circulation, and establishing the framework of the sanctioning power in this matter.

Appointment of Favorite Sons of Estepona

The Estepona City Council today unanimously agreed to award the titles of Favorite Sons of Estepona to the former councilor Maria Miralles, the guitarist Jose Fernandez, and the teacher and historian Francisco Medina. The appointments will take place in the institutional act to be held on the occasion of the Day of Andalusia.

María Miralles was a town councilor for the PSOE for 16 years, being a pioneer in equality policies, promoting the creation of the Women’s Information Center and offering direct and close support to the victims of gender violence. At the same time, she developed an intense cultural and associative activity as director and writer of the theater group of the Peñas Blancas Women’s Association.

José Fernández is an outstanding flamenco guitarist whose artistic and teaching career has contributed significantly to the dissemination of flamenco at an international level. Throughout his career, he has accompanied renowned flamenco singers and dancers, and has successfully toured internationally. At the same time, he has developed an outstanding teaching work, training generations of guitarists who today enjoy great recognition.

Francisco Medina has been director of IES Monterroso and a mathematics teacher much loved by several generations of Esteponeros. After his retirement, he has developed a facet as a writer of works where he collects episodes of the history of Estepona. In addition, we must highlight his altruistic work with the association Parkinson Sol, with which he collaborates assiduously.

Reduction of the average payment period to suppliers

The City Council of Estepona has today released a report from the Municipal Treasury where it is reported that the average payment period to suppliers was 16 days, one of the lowest recorded in the public administrations of Spain.

The deputy mayor of the Economic area, Ana Vilaseca, explained that this is an important data because it highlights “the rigor with which this Consistory works every time you hire a job or service. In that sense, he recalled that this government team was found in June 2011 with a “devastating” figure, as was that the previous government team took an average of 1,492 days to meet the invoices submitted by suppliers.