The Marbella City Council has approved an instruction that expands the responsible declaration to speed up business openings. The measure, adapted to the new regional law, will allow almost all licenses to be processed immediately.
The Marbella City Council has taken a step to facilitate business openings in the municipality with the approval of a new technical and administrative instruction for processing activity licenses. The measure, presented today at the Local Government Board, adapts local regulations to the new Environmental Qualification Law of Andalusia, which replaces the regulations in force since 2007.
The Councillor for Urban Planning, Industry and Public Roads, José Eduardo Díaz, explained that the main novelty is the expansion of the use of the responsible declaration. This figure will allow practically all activity licenses to be processed through this route, which favours the immediate opening of establishments once the required documentation is submitted.
“This instruction provides technicians with clear and uniform criteria regarding the applications that must be submitted and the way to process each file, which results in greater administrative speed and a significant reduction in waiting times for entrepreneurs and business owners,” Díaz stated.
However, industrial uses subject to environmental qualification and large urban projects will be excluded from this procedure, which will continue to follow the specific processing outlined by current regulations.
The administrative simplification will be accompanied by a strengthening of inspection work to ensure compliance with requirements. “The responsible declaration allows for the swift operation of businesses, but it also increases the Administration's responsibility in verification and inspection tasks to ensure that activities comply with all regulations,” the councillor indicated.
Díaz reported that up until June, a total of 446 activity licenses have been granted, including new openings and changes of ownership. During April and May, around 90 licenses were processed in each month, coinciding with preparations for the summer season. “These figures reflect the significant economic boost in Marbella, especially in sectors such as hospitality, commerce, and services, which are facing a summer with intense business activity,” he assessed.
Regarding construction licenses processed through responsible declaration during June, 61 authorizations have been granted, corresponding to projects with an execution budget exceeding 3 million euros. Díaz emphasized that these figures demonstrate the good pace of economic and urban activity in the municipality.
The councillor reiterated the City Council's commitment to modernizing municipal administration: “We continue to advance in simplifying procedures, reducing bureaucratic burdens, and providing a more agile, efficient service tailored to the needs of residents, professionals, and businesses, always with maximum legal guarantees.”
For entrepreneurs in Marbella, this instruction represents a significant change, as it reduces waiting times to start a business. The responsible declaration allows for immediate activity commencement, although the Administration reserves the right to later verification. Interested parties can consult the requirements at the Urban Planning department of the City Council.
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