By Richard Torné
A former council administration of Partaloa has been found guilty of committing planning crimes after 29 properties built on non-urban land were legalised through a procedure known as ‘administrative silence’.
The homes were sold mostly to expats in an urbanisation called Retamar.
The court at the ‘Juzgado de lo Penal nº 2’ in Almería city heard that the properties were de facto granted legal status in October 2006, despite the council knowing that the homes had been built on non-urban land, according to the EP press agency.
The case is the latest planning scandal to hit both serving and former councillors of Partaloa – a tiny village with a population of 915, including 564 registered expats.
