NEW Valencian Community licenses have been introduced to help owners of rural homes built without appropriate permission prior to new 2014 planning laws.
An estimated 350,000 homes constructed on green-belt land in the Valencia region fall into the ‘illegal’ category.
Impact Minimisation Licenses(MIT) can be applied for by owners wanting legal recognition for their properties as well as banishing fears of demolition.
John Kirby is working for the Valencian government to explain the changes.
He’s lived in Spain for 28 years and worked for Alborache council as a municipal architect.
John told the Olive Press: “The sheer number of illegal homes means that a large part of the region is affected but MITs will be a real opportunity for change while protecting the environment.”
He emphasised that getting an MIT doesn’t automatically mean that your rural home would become legal, but it does give you some key things.
“The property can be legally lived in and maintained forever, as well as local councils being obliged to provide the same kind of services as in built-up areas of a municipality,“ explained John.
“In return, home owners must provide guarantees over avoiding pollution to the sub-soil as well as minimising potential flood and fire risks in the area,” he added.
He also pointed out that a property with an MIT licence would inevitably be easier to sell if and when the time comes.
“MIT licences present a new path towards the social and economic integration of expats within their communities as well as for whole municipalities affected by such properties,“ John Kirby concluded.
A series of videos produced in English looking at the whole MIT licence process are available on this LINK