Town Hall Procedures
Prior to applying for a Construction Licence, the plan for the infrastructure of the overall development needs to be presented to the Town Hall, complete with the road network and all of the relevant social, utility, security and sanitation aspects. The execution of this infrastructure is carried out before and during construction of the project, and is interlinked with the licensing process.
New off plan projects entail a number of preliminary steps before the Town Hall grants a Construction Licence:
- Presentation of the Detailed Study to demonstrate the project complies with urban regulations
- Initial Technical Approval is given by the Municipal Architect
- Display of Public Notice (an opportunity for any objections to the project to be aired)
- If there are no objections, the project is approved at a Town Hall Plenary Session
- Once approved, the Detailed Study is published in the BOP (Official Bulletin of the Province)
- Presentation of the Basic Project
- Technical Approval (Favourable Report) is given by the Municipal Architect
- Presentation of Execution Project
- The Construction Licence is granted.
Timing
In Spain in general, the bureaucracy involved makes the licensing process slow, particularly in key locations. There have been an overwhelming number of new developments on the Costa del Sol in recent years, with the consequent increase in demand for homes in which to enjoy the quality of life for which the area is famous. This has obviously impacted on the workload in the Town Hall which processes all the required licences.
Urbania is a lateral-thinking company by nature, and looks to pioneer change. For example it led a lobby group resulting in a new law, allowing Title Deeds to be signed with a Declaration of Responsibility from the promoter, so properties could be handed over without having to wait for the First Occupation Licence. This milestone means owners are able to occupy their properties months earlier than they would with the previous cumbersome Occupation Licence process.
Handover process
When construction, landscaping and communal areas are completed, the overall urbanisation must be accepted into the town plan. Water and electricity connections are processed and these utilities may be provided by the developer temporarily. Once the Declaration of Responsibility has been submitted to the Town Hall, the Title Deed process can commence and owners can begin to move in.
Urbania endeavours to optimise timings in every respect. Our Technical Department liaises closely with the Town Hall and local authorities on a daily basis to expedite the processes as much as possible, while the project management team overseeing the construction of Higuerón West works tirelessly to ensure the established schedules and quality standards are complied with.
Speak to the Higuerón West team if you’d like to know more. We are always happy to help.
