What plans are there to develop Bédar?

Do you know what plans the Town Hall has for developing Bédar? They certainly have plans and they are likely to affect each of us, some very significantly.

• Will they be building near you?
• Will it be a sustainable development?
• Will local residents have a say?

These plans are contained within what is known as the PGOU. Now what are these plans? We would love to know the details.

Item 3 on the Agenda of the plenary session held last Month was the motion to approve "Modification No 2 of PGOU and Adaptation of Normas for Bédar".  After receiving her notification about the upcoming meeting on the Wednesday before the Council Meeting, Ana Rubio, the lead councillor for the Opposition, went to the town hall to research the subject.  At the meeting we held before the pleno to decide on how we would be voting, Ana said she was unable to understand what the proposed changes would be and their impact on residents. 

So at the plenary meeting itself, prior to the vote, we asked for the establishment of a Planning Information Commission which could clarify the proposed changes in a language understandable by the average resident.  These information commissions are obligatory by law in towns larger than 5000 population so that Opposition parties can remain informed about the goings-on of the town hall.  In Bédar, the Mayor refuses to form the information commissions, arguing that to do so would duplicate the work that goes on during the plenary meetings.  We disagree since by the time the matters are brought up at the plenaries, after a brief debate, they are voted on immediately. 

In the event, the Mayor turned down our suggestion, saying that these matters were quite complicated, therefore implying that they could not be made understandable.  The only explanation he gave at the plenary was that because parts of Bédar are now included in the LIC (Lugar de Interés Comunitario – zone protected by the European Union which cannot be built on), they had been advised to make changes in the PGOU so that people whose land is affected can still carry out entrepreneurial activities.  He referred in particular to the Department of Agriculture and Livestock without giving any further explanations. 

As the PSOE has an absolute majority, the motion was carried by five votes to three. 

So, we are now no more the wiser about what this item involves.  I’ve been a town councillor for about six months now and I already realise that if you want to find out anything in Bédar, you have to take your own initiatives.  Judging by the comments you’ve been giving us, I think I’m not alone in wanting to understand more, even if we’re not being invited to participate in formulating the changes. 

Therefore we are currently talking with some local English-speaking planning specialists who want to arranging a workshop for all interested parties.  The purpose of this workshop will be to learn what the current PGOU (Plan General de Ordenación Urbanística) and proposed modifications are, to discuss what the proposed changes will mean for the municipality and to answer any questions that an individual homeowner may have about their particular situation.  We will let you know through this blog about the workshop details when we have them.