The Council of Ministers has given its approval for the modification of the State Law on Land and Urban Rehabilitation, preparing its presentation to the Spanish Parliament after not having been processed in the previous legislature. This reform aims to "provide legal security", stability and certainty to urban planning, seeking to prevent formal but correctable errors from leading to the complete invalidity of territorial and urban planning instruments.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda emphasises the importance of urban planning as an essential element for the growth of municipalities and cities.
With the recent reactivation of the initiative, previously announced by Minister Isabel Rodríguez at the beginning of the year, the government is once again promoting the draft bill to amend the Land Law. This draft bill, initially approved by the Council of Ministers on 13 December 2022, had not begun its legislative process due to the call for general elections.
The aim is to obtain parliamentary backing for this project, which is aligned with the rehabilitation and construction objectives of the Recovery Plan. Pilar Alegría, government spokesperson, has expressed the intention to reach a broad consensus in Congress for the approval of the law, indicating a favourable predisposition on the part of most of the parliamentary groups.
The Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and its vice-president, Inés Rey, approve of the amendment, seeing it as a response to a unanimous request to provide greater legal certainty to municipalities in the management of their urban development plans, avoiding paralysations due to minor errors.
APCEspaña, representing developers and builders, also supports the measure, highlighting its importance in ensuring effective land management, addressing the housing shortage and improving accessibility, in a context where numerous municipalities are facing the judicial annulment of their urban plans.