Property
Sp pr ai op n’ in er s be En ty st gl mag ish
GOING JAPANESE
November 2023
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Courted by courtyards
The incredible home in Galicia that is inspired by the best of the far east
CREDIT: Photo by Jon Clarke
has been The incredible allure of crafty courtyards with roses, turned into an artform in Spain, some simply others with geraniums and some with palms. We take a look at their history.
MARBELLA’S BOND 29601* BADDIES
THE moment of truth is approaching for Pedro Sanchez. The investiture debate for the acting Prime Minister will take place today and tomorrow in Madrid’s Congress to see if he can form a government. Sanchez last week secured a deal with Catalan party Junts and then topped that up with agreements with the Basque BNG party and the single Canary Coalition delegate. In exchange for the votes of the Catalan separatist groups like Junts, Sanchez agreed to a controversial amnesty for those involved in a failed 2017 secession attempt. The amnesty plan has split public opinion, with hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating against it across the country on Sunday. Socialist leader in Catalunya and ex-national health minister, Salvador Illa, defended the proposed amnesty law stating that it ‘demonstrates the solidity and capacity for generosity of Spanish democracy’. The deals mean that Pedro Sanchez and the PSOE are now set to secure an absolute majority of 179 votes among the chamber’s 350 representatives - if all the promised votes go his way. Sanchez’s Socialists came second in the July 23 general election, but Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the Partido Popular, which came first, was unable to put together a majority in Congress, leading King Felipe to ask Sanchez to have a go See Back to basics page 4
Lack of affordable housing is keeping at home into their 30s
Spaniards
The
OUNGSTERS in Spain are among the oldest in Europe to sing stock is 'social housing' compared flee the nest. to 7% in other OECD nations. The average age to leave home By Alex Trelinski The report did however sound a note is an incredible 31 years, the third hiof optimism over the new Housing Law, ghest on the continent. which is seeking to ‘address the lack of Only Greeks and Slovakians leave continually rising prices. affordable housing’ through regulations home later. It blames the ‘difficult transition from The percentage of young adults living education to the labour market’ and and tax measures. of new resiwith their parents is over 60% in the adds it creates ‘a difficult transition to The plan to allocate 40% housing dential construction to social case of 18 to 34 year olds, and 50% for independent life for young Spaniards’. half of it for social rental units - ‘could 25 to 34 year olds. High rental prices mean youngsters are The lack of affordable housing in cities priced out of the market, while there is a generate benefits for lower-income households’, ruled the report. and popular tourist spots, including the critically low supply of council housing. to ensure costas and the Balearic Islands, is the According to the report average rents “But only if carefully monitored does not that such inclusionary zoning key issue. have risen by 40% over the last decade reduce incentives to start new projects According to a new OECD Econo- compared to just 10% in salaries. hou- or drive up market prices,” it added. mic Survey on housing across Europe, to Yet, alarmingly, only 1% of Spain's Spain has a long-standing issue due
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James Bond, countess and flamenco singers were all dragged into famous Malaya case
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VARIETY: Palacio de las Dueñas in Sevilla to a typical Cordoba patio and a modern design
NOT LEAVING: Spanish are the third
oldest to fly the nest
ANDALUCÍA
Your expat
voice in Spain
FREE Vol. 17 Issue 432 www.theolivepress.es November 15th - November 28th 2023
Courted by courtyards
FIRESTARTER
Blaze that scorched 250 hectares started on purpose believe firefighters
A FOREST fire which destroyed 250 hectares of land and at least one property while forcing hundreds to evacuate was ‘most likely deliberate’, the Olive Press can reveal. According to a source from the Spanish Military Emergency Unit (UME), the weekend blaze in Mijas was ‘almost certainly lit for private interests’. He told the Olive Press: “Perhaps it was to pave the way for a new urbanisation or some luxury villas, or even to extend the contracts of various fire crews. “I don’t believe it was the work of a pyromaniac but I do think it was deliberate, it was not an accident.” He added: “There were similar rea-
sons to the big Sierra Bermeja fire two years ago, only the weather was cooler so it didn't spread as fast, thank god." However, despite the UME not being called this time - 'it wasn't deemed big enough' - he added: "What is terrifying is a forest fire destroying so much land so late in the season in November. "It just shows the danger of global warming is looming ever closer." Residents described the horror of being awoken by flames in the early hours of Sunday, when the fire broke out in the Venta los Condes area. Within a few hours over 300 people were moved from the Valtocado urban-
Whittaker sent us photos from Sunday morning showing the fire clearly appeared to have three seats, while isation to a sports centre away from video footage shows helicopters and the inferno. aircraft flying directly over her roof. Firefighters were roped in from Mar- She told this paper: “I woke up to the bella, Benalmadena and Fuengirola, smell of smoke, I initially thought the alongside multiple helicopters and house was on fire and our balcony aircraft, while it took more than 24 was covered in ash. hours for the flames to be brought “We were told by police we couldn’t under control. leave, we felt trapped and especially Local councillor Antonio Sanz Ca- with our animals we had a very scary bello said: “It has not been easy, but few hours!” thanks to hard work the fire has been In September 2021, authorities bestabilised and residents can return to lieve a fire in the Sierra Bermeja was their homes.” started deliberately by arsonists. It He added that it could have been a lot burnt through 9,670 hectares in the worse and that an investigation into hills above Estepona and saw more the cause of the fire was still underway. than 3,000 people evacuated from Olive Press reader Melanie Jane their homes. It tragically caused the death of one firefighter, 44-yearold Carlos Martinez Haro, a father of two young daughters who was brought in from Almeria to join the SOME 2,500 volunteers are working through 1,000 strong team battling November to reforest parts of the Sierra Berthe flames. meja which were devastated by a massive fire In 2018, a forest fire in Main 2021. nilva was feared to have They are planting 20,000 trees native to the been started deliberately by area in a bid to regenerate the area that was drug traffickers in a bid to left devastated, with 9,670 hectares affected divert resources away from the coastline - allowing them and 3,000 people evacuated. greater freedom to import large shipments of narcotics. And in 2020, locals rumours following a devastating fire in Granada pointed the finger at wind farm companies, claiming they wanted to calcify the land to make way for a reSee page 11 & 12 newable energy hotspot. The claims were never proven. EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore
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Opinion Page 6