The councillor for Urbanism, Jesús Vázquez, has announced that the upcoming July plenary will address the approval of the scope documents for the POU and PGOM, key to replacing the current PGOU from 1994.
The Ronda City Council has taken a firm step towards modernising its urban planning. This Tuesday, the councillor for Urbanism and first deputy mayor, Jesús Vázquez, confirmed that the next ordinary plenary in July will address the approval of the scope documents for the Urban Planning Plan (POU) and the General Municipal Planning Plan (PGOM). Both instruments will replace the current General Urban Planning Plan (PGOU), which dates back to 1994 and which, according to the councillor, "has become obsolete."
A process initiated in 2022
The governing team, led by the mayor, launched this ambitious project in 2022, when the study by Juan Carlos García de los Reyes was contracted to draft the new plans. This same study has already achieved an important milestone: the innovation of the PGOU with protective character for the historic ensemble of Ronda, a document that "has become a reality and is already being applied after decades of unsuccessful attempts," as highlighted by Vázquez.
Thanks to this innovation, the Ronda City Council now directly manages building permits in the historic centre, a responsibility that previously fell to the Junta de Andalucía. This has expedited procedures and provided "greater legal security for potential investments," the councillor noted. Among the ongoing projects are the creation of two hotels in unused buildings: the former El Castillo school and the Convent of Madre de Dios.
Next steps and citizen participation
Once the scope documents are approved, the next step will be to draft a text that incorporates the suggestions presented and the reports obtained. After that, initial approval will proceed, and a 45-day public exhibition period will be opened, during which residents, entities, and groups can submit objections.
Vázquez explained that the goal is to "create a more compact document" from the POU and PGOM, and it is hoped to gain the support of all political groups: "We want it to have as much consensus as possible." In fact, the innovation of the PGOU for the historic ensemble was approved by unanimity, a precedent that the councillor hopes to repeat.
"We are facing a very important advance. We have a PGOU that dates back to 1994 and in 2022 we decided to create a new plan. Also, to create the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUS) for Ronda, which is already in force," declared Vázquez. The councillor called for citizen participation: "You can consult the documents on the City Council's website, at www.ronda.es. This is a very important document for Ronda, which underpins its modernisation, the city model we have been working on."
Implications for the residents of Ronda
The renewal of urban planning will directly affect all residents of Ronda. The new plan will define the city model for the coming decades, regulating land uses, building capacity, and public spaces. For homeowners or landowners, it represents an opportunity to understand the new urban regulations before undertaking any renovations or constructions. Moreover, the expedited licensing in the historic centre benefits those wishing to rehabilitate properties in the area.
Looking to the future, once the new plan is definitively approved, it is expected that Ronda will be able to attract more investments, especially in the tourism sector, with projects such as the two planned hotels. The City Council is confident that the process will conclude within a reasonable timeframe, although no specific date has been set for final approval.
In the meantime, interested parties can follow the process through the municipal website and participate in the public exhibition when the objection period opens. The urban modernisation of Ronda is progressing, along with the promise of a more orderly city prepared for the future.
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