Fined €32,000 for illegal building

The Pelayo district, above Algeciras

ALGECIRAS (Agencies) The municipal town planning authorities have set a fine of €32,581.14 on R.I.G. for building a two-story house illegally in the Pelayo area of Algeciras, close to the El Portalón restaurant. The process began in 2007, when the man wastold to 'return the land to its prior state'. He has had time to demolish the building since then, but if he does not do so within a month, he will be subject to successive fines of similar amounts - up to twelve, a month apart. He has thirty days from last week to make an appeal either directly to the town planning authorities or via the Administrative Court, within sixty days.

This Council department has a series of such fines outstanding, which were set this month. For instance, a fine of €18,263.31 was issued against the owner of another house in Pelayo, where he had also built a two-story home without any kind of permission from the town hall. And that was the third fine for the same person and building. As a result, a demolition order has also been issued.