neighbors

The neighbors have made the City Council demolish it

by

In the English town of Dewsbury, near Leeds, a businessman from the rest sector called Amir Azam decided completely transform a plot where there was already a modest house in a neighborhood of low and quiet family homes to build a brick and cement mastodon who put all his neighbors on a war foot until a judge has taken letters in the matter: “permanently withdraw the house, including the base and the foundations.” That is, throw down a millionaire investment. Family house to CasePlón. The millionaire bought the property in 2021 for about 275,000 euros and, after requesting permission to expand the small house he had already built, finally chose to demolish it completely and build a new one instead. The problem is that, instead of a family house of a plant, such as that of the rest of the neighborhood, The millionaire lifted in his place A CASEPLÓN Three floors, with brick walls more than 16 meters long and two additional buildings in the garden. A reform that was out of hand. The result was a residential complex of exorbitant proportions that broke with the visual harmony of the neighborhood. The neighbors denounced for three years the impact on the aesthetics of the neighborhood, claiming that the dimensions of the house and its oppressive design affected the adjoining houses, which they found a brick wall in front of their windows overnight. “We have small discreet bungalows here and suddenly this huge monstrous mansion appears,” They declared Some neighbors to the British Dailymail. Azam requested in 2023 a retrospective planning permit to the City Council, when the work was already finished by the residents on a war. However, the City Council rejected its application and urban planning officials declared that the mansion had an “oppressive, opaque and dominant” impact on the rest of the houses and that it does not “integrate comprehensively” into the dead end in which it was located. Fatal outcome for the millionaire. Finally, and after three years of litigation with local and neighbors, from the urban planning inspection it was decided that the only possible solution was the total demolition of the property. “The new house has a similar surface in terms of wide to the previous housing, but as it now has a two -waters front, its general volume and mass seem much greater. As a result, it seems incongruous next to the other more modest homes in the dead end. As its depth extends much further back, it creates a large side wall extension, which further aggravates its voluminous appearance,” The decision was ratified by the Urban Planning Inspector, which concluded that the construction was incompatible with the character of the environment and caused the quality of life of the residents and gave Amir Azam six months to “permanently withdraw the house, including the base and the foundations.” Demolition and restitution costs could exceed 100,000 euros, expenses that the solo businessman must face. Asked by the British press, Azam said he did not know the resolution and avoided making public statements about the ruling. It is not an isolated case. Such and as he collected the one of Dailymailthis is not the first time that a local millionaire builds a mansion with all the permits in order and then regret it. This happened with a couple of Cambridgeshire, north of London, who claimed that he was going to build a horsepower clinic, but actually raised a mansion valued in more than 1 million pounds. Once built, a judge also ordered to demolish that it was an illegal construction that was not adjusted to what had been planned in their permits. In the United States, Mohamed Hadid, real estate entrepreneur and father of beautiful and Gigi Hadid models, started in Bel Air the work of a colossal mansion of 2,800 square meters that never obtained the necessary permits. After years of litigation, justice He ordered his demolition for breaching a long list of urban and security regulations. The demolition of the structure, half -building, finally began in 2022 after a media and judicial process Very sound. A global phenomenon that also affects Spain. In Spain there have also been similar cases. In the exclusive Cala Llap, in Andratx (Mallorca), 12 luxury homes were built that exceeded 1.3 million euros each. Such and as he collected Eldiario.esthese homes were declared illegal and finally demolished By court order, which caused many of its owners to lose their millionaire investments. In Xataka | The “Off Market” has been the great secret of the millionaires: thus they have bought and sold their mansions without a trace Image | Unspash (Darran Shen)

In Ibiza the luxury villas and ‘Beach Clubs’ have taken over the bathing areas. And the neighbors are saying enough

by

Every year Ibiza receives hundreds of thousands of tourists that dream of the same: enjoy the Sun of the Mediterranean and take a dip in one of its paradisiacal coves. That has converted the sand of the Ibizan coast in the object of desire for locals and visitors, a coveted (and quoted) privilege that has long faces a serious threat: privatization covert of the beaches. A risk that materializes in the form of hammocks and sun loungers. What happened? That the summer of 2025 will perhaps go down in history by the forest firesthe Heat waves or the You alert of the hoteliers, who despite the record influx of tourists who are registering Spain perceive a fall in their turnover; But of course it won’t solve it One of the ‘hot potatoes’ of the Balearic coast: the private occupation of the sand. Eldiario.es remembered it yesterday An article in which he remembers some of the main controversies that Ibiz Beach Clubs. It is not really a problem that affects only the Pitiusa Islands. In Malaga the neighbors They have warned of the “privatization of the beach” for the expansion of several beach bars and in Menorca There have been criticism For the closure of roads, which prevents visitors (and neighbors) from practicing hiking in the area. Where does the controversy come from? Ibiza is close to 230 kilometers Costa and a good part of it are beaches and coves that, for decades, attract tourists from all over the planet. The result is that a portion of its sand, with its umbrella and sun lounger, has become (especially during the summer) into a precious good … and disputed. Residents know it. And also tourists and hoteliers. Hence it is not uncommon to find in the island press Complaints by Beach Clubs and restaurants that occupy sand with hammocks and umbrellas, hoarding more space than they allow them Your concessions. Or even news on villas and companies dedicated to the luxury holiday rental that colonize ‘the coves. In August Nou Diari He warned that the “undercover privatization” of the beaches is filling the patience of the neighbors of Ibiza and recalled that for years it is not strange to meet with auxiliary and yacht vessels that approach the coast to display hammocks that stay there in case their owners decide to use them. Sometimes it happens. Others do not simply occupy coast. Are there specific cases? Yes. In Ibiza there are at least three that have given to speak over the last months. Of all perhaps the most popular is that of Cala Molíin the municipality of Sant Josep. Fed of the ‘colonization’ of Arenal, Last month Someone withdrew the sun loungers in the cove and left a message in English attached to one of the chairs: “The beach is a public space and is not included in the house you have rented. If you want to put your hammock, come like everyone else and place it wherever you want. Eivissa free of pirates!”. In August Nou Diari public That the sun loungers, umbrellas and other Molí apparatus was installed by a company dedicated to the rental of luxury homes in the area. As needed, the business was dedicated to deploying the furniture in the morning, occupying part of the Ibizan coast, as if it were an exclusive service for its customers. eldiario.es Precise However, the hammocks actually installed operators hired by a family housed in a nearby villa. Are there more examples? Yes. Another sound case is that of Cala d´en Serrain Sant Joan. In June Amics de la Terra denounced that a business was installing more hammocks on the beach than allows its municipal concession. He denounced her accompanies her A photo in which 30 sun loungers can be seen in pairs who occupy practically the entire cove. His complaint motivated a police inspection, which, however, verified that the concessionaire was complying with the limits, at least at the time the agents came. Ibiza Diario Precise In any case that, although at the time of the inspection it was found that there were 18 hammocks, “amount that coincides with the maximum authorized according to the current concession”, in the image released by AMICs it is clearly appreciated that at the time when the photograph was taken there was almost double (30). “He has only started summer and hammocks already throw us from the beach”, regretted The environmental organization in its publication. Is it a new problem? Not quite. Nor exclusive to Ibiza. The occupation (or “privatization”) of the coasts has heating the debate For yearsboth by individuals that get up early to place their umbrellas and then leave, like business that monopolize large portions of sand. In the Balearic Islands it is usually a reason for recurring discussion. Last year the residents of Sant Agustí and Cala Major (Palmad de Mallorca) They denounced publicly That, according to their calculations, they only had 22% of the beach for their enjoyment. In Ibiza, Cala Spartin Santa Eulària, too It has generated controversy This summer for a similar reason: the appearance of private hammocks. Images | Fred Bigio (Flickr) and Amics de la Terra Eivissa (Flickr) Via | eldiario.es In Xataka | Cabo de Gata promised them happy with the tourist pull of its beaches. Until the dunes became parkings

Adif has in his hands the great “obrón” of Valencia. Now it also has a gas leak and desperate neighbors

by

With two years behind him and others three years projected aheadValencia is living one of his great works in the surroundings of its central parc, next to the Joaquín Sorolla station to convert the most important mobility node in the city. It is, in words that They are read on the project website“The project of greatest urban impact in the city.” The reforms are large and very draft. Form summarya New high -speed rail access To connect Madrid-Valencia with the Mediterranean corridor, both north and south of the city. The conventional and high -speed rail lines are buried (up to 9 kilometers of tunnels are created) and will result in a new central station that maintains the exterior facade but that changes completely inside, becoming a large intermodal step of high -speed trains, conventional lines, subway and bus. There will also be space to reform the lines dedicated to merchandise transport. In numbers, Valencia hopes to recover with the work a total of 230,000 square meters, largely dedicated to green areas and to join the adjoining neighborhoods, now separated by the train tracks. It is estimated that only the rail transformation will cost 665 million eurosassuming Adif and Renfe more than 50% of the cost of it. The work is currently in one of its phases with more activity. The known as “Playa de Roads”, the enormous space used by trains that reach the station and that right now is the great border that separates both sides from the work, will begin to be buried from the excavation of a tunnel of 1.2 kilometers long. This new stage, however, has arrived with an unpleasant surprise. A gas leak and various problems Two years after the works began, the neighbors are beginning to suffer the consequences of them. Beyond the usual inconveniences of this type of projects, the alarm jumped when the Excavations Adif caused a gas leak located on Olta Street, perpendicular to the García Lorca boulevard. The leak has been “controlled” and has been because during the excavations a gas pipe has been damaged to the point that has been drilled. Adif sources have explained to the newspaper Levant that there has been no risk for people and that the emergency protocol has been activated, with immediate notice to firefighters, police and emergencies. During the day of the incident He has worked to restore the service and forced to confine a community of neighbors adjacent to the works for security. However, the gas leak is “the drop that has filled the glass”, in the words of the neighbors who They have offered their testimonies to the local newspaper. They ensure that in addition to the transfer of vehicles and the impossibility of opening sales because “the land house” is filled with activities, the inconvenience is being recurring. Those affected that the cuts of light and water are usual but that, in addition, some homes have crazy. The latter is a serious problem and Valencian works are not the first that cause cracking problems in homes as a result of excavations. In Madrid, for example, the residents of the A-5 They know the cuts of light and water well as a consequence of the underground of the road but in San Fernando de Henares, next to the capital, The neighbors have denounced years ago That the expansion works of the Metro line are cracking their homes. To the point that 73 homes have been demolished and another 600 have presented cracks and serious structural problems. Photo | Valencia Central Park In Xataka | Madrid faces a capital challenge with the underground of the A-5: living with a hell in the face of the promise of future success

“Vuls the intimacy of the neighbors”

by

The Supreme Court has established a clear limit to the installation of digital peephots In households, an issue that raises many doubts among users who want to place one in their home. THE CIVIL ROOM He has backed The prohibition of an electronic peephole with a camera in a house in Madrid, arguing that “violates the intimacy of the neighbors” who live in front when the doors are very close. A conflict between neighbors. It all started in an urbanization of the Madrid neighborhood of Aluche, where two couples resided with their doors facing only a meter and a half of distance. One of them decided to install an intelligent electronic peephole that automatically detected movement and could photograph, record video and send alerts to the mobile. The intention of this was to know if they received packages while they were away, but the device was constantly activated with the movements of their neighbors. The case was coming before. The Court of First Instance has already determined that the measure did not pursue security but comfortespecially considering that the building had a janitor and there were no special risks. From the court they considered that there were less invasive alternatives, such as traditional alarm systems, to guarantee house protection in case the couple required it. Why is it relevant. This sentence feels jurisprudence on the limits of placing a digital peephole at home, a topic that usually Provide many doubts depending on the capabilities of the device itself. The Supreme It has been blunt By establishing that continuous surveillance through electronic devices constitutes a “relevant affectation of personal and family intimacy”, especially when it is activated every time the neighbors enter or leave their home. The resolution. The supreme concludes that the couple’s comfort when placing the peephole “is not proportionate to the benefit of the satisfaction of the defendants.” In this way, the magistrates are clear that the comfort that supposes for the couple to know whether or not a package does not justify that invasion of privacy through the digital peephole, especially when it points directly to the access of a house. What does it imply for the future. This resolution will serve in similar cases to have a clear reference on what can be placed or cannot be placed in the sight of the house. In this case, the sentence establishes that the installation of cameras in spaces that can capture images of neighbors require a real justification of security. So, if you want to venture to install one of these digital peephoes, it will be important know what their abilities are Specific. In Xataka | A town in Toledo has tired of the squatters. So you are offering a new service to your neighbors to put them

Jeff Bezos and his millionaire neighbors live on a luxurious artificial island to which something basic is missing: he has no sewerage

by

Indian Creek It is an artificial island on the Miami coast known for its multimillionaire residents and its extraordinary privacy. That has given him the nickname Billionaire Bunker. Figures like Jeff Bezos (Jeff Bezos, in fact, bought three mansions on the island and is building its main residence), Tom Brady, Ivanka Trump and even Julio Iglesias They have bought properties in this exclusive enclave. The island is connected to the continent only by a small bridge guarded by its own police, which makes it one of the most closed and monitored communities in the United States. However, as highlighted in The local pressin this luxurious paradise where most mansions have an average of 10 bathrooms, no one has taken into account How to delete properly the waste they generate. Millionaires in a Ciénaga. By not having sewerage infrastructure given the isolated character of the enclave, Indian Creek’s homes depend on individual septic tanks, located dangerously close to Bay of Biscay. This proximity has turned the graves into a constant source of pollution. According to published The New York Timesa 2018 study already warned of the high pollution indices of these septic tanks due to the sewage leaks To the bay. These leaks not only affect Water health that surround the island, but also to marine ecosystems. Neighbor, do you have a sewer left over? Given this situation, the Indian Creek government raised a possible solution: send its wastewater to the sewerage system of the neighboring town, Surfside, located on the other side of the bridge that communicates them with the mainland. However, Surfside responded in a diplomatic but firm way. Connect to the sewerage system that have paid and maintained their neighbors has a cost: 10 million dollars. For his part, Indian Creek considered the petition as an act of “extortion” and decided to look for alternatives that would not imply paying the neighbors the 10 million dollars hitch rate. The law of the sewer. One of these alternatives is to raise a claim to the government of the state of Florida since there is a state law that would force surfesides to accept the wastewater of its military neighbors to Eliminate septic tanks. According to that law, conveniently approved in June 2025, includes a provision that prohibits municipalities from blocking or charging for certain sewerage connections. According to published he Miami Heraldthis measure would prevent localities such as Surfside to reject projects such as Indian Creek or impose connection tolls to their sewerage lines, although they directly affect their urban infrastructure. If you use our sewers you are one of ours. In response, Surfside authorities raised a legal counterpart: if an acceptable agreement was not reached, they could contemplate the possibility of annexing Indian Creek to their municipality, so that both entities share fiscal and maintenance obligations. According to surfeside leaders, the Urban growth and the environmental pressure generated by Indian Creek justifies a formal solution and a common responsibility. Both populations are communicated by a bridge, so all the traffic and services that the island of the Millionaires needs compulsively passes through the streets of Surfsis. A private pipe. Rejecting the idea of annexation to Surfside, Indian Creek has designed an independent infrastructure project that consists in building its own sewerage system. This plan includes placing an underground pipe that would pass under the streets of Surfsis along one kilometer until reaching the Bay Harbor Islands sewerage network. In this way, the waste would leave the island without formalizing a connection with the system of its immediate neighbor. Stephen J. Helfman, Indian Creek’s lawyer, assured to The New York Times that “the preliminary works and preparation works for the future sewerage line will begin next month.” Meanwhile, the mayor of Surfsis, Charles Burkett, who initially requested the 10 million dollars, was more conciliatory after knowing that the law prevents him from refusing to facilitate the construction of that new sewerage line. “We hope to work with Indian Creek to help them achieve their goals with the least possible impact for our residents,” Burkett said. In Xataka | Billionaires prepare their mansions for apocalypse: luxury bunkers have become a trend Image | Flickr (Smithsonian)

China begins to build the largest dam in the world. His neighbors fear that they use it as a “water pump”

by

The Pharaonic works They are not easy. Tell them The Linethe gigantic Horizontal skyscraper that he was confident years ago and that more and more and more. China, however, does not raise your foot from the accelerator and, every little time, it surprises us with some megaestructure. Now, and after a long planning, they have announced the beginning of the construction of the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. And neighboring countries have shouted in the sky for a reason: the possible use of water as a throwing weapon. A monster. China has the largest dam on the planet. The three throats is the largest energy plant in the worldit is so huge that GROUNDS EARTH ROTATION With a refueling, and it is estimated that it has a production capacity of 88.2 million MWH per year. Impressive, but will soon be in a second place because they are preparing an even bigger dam. A set of dams, rather. Located on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, Lto new biggest in the world It will have the capacity to generate 300 million MWH per year, you can cover the energy needs of 300 million people each year and “only” will cost 130,000 million euros. That impressive capacity will be possible thanks both to your turbines as to the use of the energy generated by the two -kilometer unevenness presented by the river in certain areas and a construction with five cascade dams. “The project of the century”. The area is one of the richest in hydroelectric resources in the world, and the idea is to drill between four and six tunnels of 20 kilometers in length through a mountain to divert half of the river flow to achieve 2,000 m³ per second and take advantage of all that force. It will not be a simple operation due to the conditions of the area and at the cost of the project, and that is what has led to China’s prime minister to qualify it as “the project of the century”. As we read in The GuardianLi Qiang made the statements during a ceremony in the region to commemorate the beginning of a construction that was announced in 2020 and has Aroused numerous criticisms. Out of China, yes. Risks. First, for natural reasons. Is found in the Tibet area And it is one of the most regions seismically active of the planet. It is where the Indian and Eurasian plates contact and where numerous earthquakes are given every year, some with important magnitudes. In fact, a recent earthquake already damaged five hydroelectric dams in the area, and the weight of accumulated water itself is another factor that can trigger earthquakes, As has happened. On the other hand, human reasons. Apart from the consequences that an earthquake of that magnitude can have for the local population, it is not the first time that displaces a population to build a dam. These population movements is something that fear Tibetan groups that claim to have no visibility on the plans of the Chinese government. And, when they have complained about other hydroelectric projects in Tibet, they have been repressed by the authorities. The area could not be more geologically complicated. Either at the geopolitical level And geopolitics. India and Bangladés too They look at the dam With the arched eyebrow. He Brahmaputra It is essential for agriculture and access to drinking water of millions of people along the river and fear that dams seriously alter their flow. It is something that would directly affect the agriculture and food security of these people and already They drop That the project is a strategic tool from China to exert pressure on neighboring countries, by being able to control or modify water flow at will. Neeraj Singh Manhas is the special advisor for South Asia in the Parley Policy initiative (organization that seeks to solve conflicts through diplomacy) and in statements to BBCHe commented that “China can always use water as a weapon, blocking or diverting it.” Even if they do not do it on purpose, it would not be the first time that a accidentlike him collapse In cascade of the Banqiao dam and another 61 dams in 1975, an event that caused 85,000 direct deaths and displaced 11 million people. “Water pump”. In addition, it is something that can go against the direct interests of India, which aims to build a hydroelectric dam on the Sang River (one of those feeding on the Tsangpo). Apart from the fact that the flow of the river can affect the energy interests of India, there are voices that warn about the possible use of China as a “water pump.” PEMA KHANDU, Minister of Arunachal Pradesh -a state of the Republic of India -, commented In a recent interview that the dam “can cause an existential threat to our tribes and a half visa. It is quite serious because China could use this as a ‘water pump’. Suppose that, suddenly, they release water: all our Siang belt would be destroyed, finished with tribes that would see how all its properties would be destroyed”. Nothing to worry about. From the Chinese government have always been rejected Those criticisms, ensuring that they do not seek “water hegemony” or intend to get benefits at the expense of their neighbors. On the other hand, it is alleged not only that the project will generate employment in the region, but will cover the energy needs and encourage something that China is advancing by leaps and bounds: he Renewable sector. In addition, the Prime Minister said that these concerns about ecological conservation have been taken into account when planning the project to “avoid environmental damage.” We will see what it is, but it is evident that the dam will be built and the intention is that it is operational in record time: by 2030. Images | Yogho, Guganij In Xataka | China is moving whole buildings at the same time to build underneath. Because? Because it can

A town in Toledo has tired of the squatters. So you are offering a new service to your neighbors to put them

by

Escalona is A town of Castilla-La Mancha that does not usually monopolize holders beyond the regional press. For a while, however, it is usual to find news that relate it to the illegal occupation of houses. And not because there is a serious problem (which It has been). No. The reason is that City Council has undertaken A real crusade Against the Okupas, which has led him to activate a Municipal Planopen a special office, upload homes and, now, offer a Free service to the neighbors to expedite the evictions during The first 48 hours. At the moment it seems that it is not doing badly: the City Council presumes that illegal occupations have fallen more than 60%. Escalona at war. In Escalonaa municipality in the province of Toledo de 3,800 neighborsthey have declared him The war to the illegal occupation of housing. And with forcefulness. Both in fact that in 2023 (just one year after activating its ‘antiokupa plan’) the Consistory calculated that the problem had already been reduced 75% In the municipality and the number of crimes, 70%had also collapsed. Since then the Consistory has not stopped and recently insisted in the legal facilities which offers to evict homes. “There are no excuses”. The Escalona Crusade is not new. In fact, at least March 2021 can be traced, when the mayor Álvaro Gutiérrez(PSOE) sent A letter to the neighbors presenting the municipal plan against the illegal housing occupation. Your goal? Facing what, in the councilor’s opinion, is the “most difficult” challenge that faces the municipality: the squatters. “We cannot and do not want to look the other way. There are no excuses for illegal occupation,” starts. “Everyone has the right to housing, yes; but they must access it through legal instruments and social policies without harming the rights of others.” And what do you think? The plan It soon in entering into force and basically rests on three legs. The main one is the creation of a “illegal anti-exploits” municipal office, an department dedicated to offering free legal advice to the housing owners of the town, regardless of whether or not they are registered there. Its objective: to expedite the procedures and that the owners of affected houses act rapidly during the First 48 hours of occupation, which can speed considerably The eviction. With that purpose, the City Council of Escalona has created a “at risk” housing census and promotes the signing of agreements with both individuals and banks that have empty houses in the municipality. Thanks to them, the owners delegate their legal representation in the Consistory so that it can immediately denounce an illegal occupation in court. The objective is the same: shorten times and take advantage of the first 48 hours of the occupation to, In the words of the Consistorylook for the “express eviction.” Disused house, house upholstered. The second leg of the ‘Antiokupas Plan’ consists of an ordinance that forces to upholler or install special doors and windows in those homes that remain permanently empty. The measure, Gutiérrez clarified In his letter, he addresses mainly to the financial entities that have empty houses and without tenants in portfolio. “If they do not proceed in the stipulated time, the appropriate judicial file will begin so that the City Council can be carried out with the relevant judicial authorization,” The mayor warnsthat also warns of fines and sanctions for those who do not comply. And is it done? That seems. The City Council estimates that only in March 2022, with the newly activated antiokupa plan, the doors and windows of 40 homes distributed by neighborhoods and urbanizations of the town. And his intention was to continue doing it, blocking another 10 short -term buildings. In his Balance of 2023 He already spoke of more than fifty houses with the windows and doors closed to lime and song to keep the squatters away, a work that at least in some cases is done with local resources. Tightening via taxes. To prevent empty homes in the hands of banks, the ‘Antiokupa Plan’ also contemplates the creation of a tax designed for financial entities with buildings at risk. Its logic is very simple: if the owner (bank, vulture fund, etc.) refuses to install enclosures or upholster the house and neither does it allocate to social rental faces a special rate. “The first leg is to discourage the policy of fallen arms by financial entities to this serious problem with economic incentives,” The letter points out. In informing the building of buildings, the City Council in fact recalls that this is its last option. “We must remember that 100% of these homes come from financial entities, investment funds or vulture funds and that have been urged to rent to vulnerable families. The upholstered is the last resort to avoid its use for illicit purposes,” They claim from the Toledo municipality. City Hall … And something else. The third leg of the Plan relies on organizations and entities that go beyond the Consistory itself, such as the Civil Guard, the use of private security to “reinforce special operations against crime” in high season or expand the local police body with new places. And they are not the only resources of the City Council. Your plan He talks about agreements with “supply entities” to “expedite the supply cuts of illegal hooks of occupied homes.” Notarial powers. In May the local government made it easier for the owners of houses occupied to resort to justice by informing of a new municipal service, a free mediation so that any affected owner can benefit from the last legal news and empty your home in 48 hours. “The City Council offers all the owners of occupied homes assume the judicial and notarial costs if the notarial power is granted to submit the demand in the courts and thus expedite the eviction,” Inform The Consistory. “This new measure joins the plan against illegal occupations thanks to which, according to the information of the Civil Guard, … Read more

Spain goes with such delay in floating wind that its neighbors are being advanced: Morocco and Portugal

by

The industry begins to get impatient. It has been almost a year since it was approved Royal Decree 962/2024designed to give the exit gun to the marine wind in Spain. However, the ministerial order that must regulate the first auction has not yet seen the light, and there is also no official calendar with the next steps. In a sector that advances to the rhythm of the wind, the lack of movement begins to weigh. Short. The Wind Business Association (AEE) and the Marine Wind Forum have joined forces to launch a overwhelming message to the government: either, investments will end in other countries. In a joint statementthey have claimed the immediate publication of the bases of the auction and a schedule that gives medium and long term visibility. While Spain is still waiting, Portugal, France or Morocco advance with defined models and concrete projects. A more complex problem. According to AEElack of advances could cost Spain to create more than 7,500 jobs in coastal areas and stop contributing more than 2,000 million euros per year to GDP. In addition, the opportunity to lead a key technology such as floating wind –in which Spain has been a pioneer with world reference prototypes– It could evaporate if a minimum local market is not established. Spain has toilet industrial capabilities, appropriate port infrastructure, demonstrated technological experience – as the first floating prototype developer of the world – and Suitable areas identified in the planning plans of the maritime space (poem). But all that, without a local market that guarantees volume and continuity, is at risk. It has been stretching. In February of this year, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, announced that the Government would launch the first marine wind auction in 2025 and that an order would be published with the bases, According to the newspaper five days. Also The goal was reaffirmed to reach the 3 GW capacity installed in 2030, as established by the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC). But, today, the order has not gone to public consultation. And that is the first stone to launch any auction. From the sector, they denounce that there are no objective reasons that justify the delay and fear that the promises of auctions “in 2025” become another lost year. A wind leak. The main stumbling block is the lack of firm signs and a detailed roadmap. This has caused various companies –As AEE has warned– They are starting to divert their investments to other countries that offer greater certainty and speed. On the other hand, in neighboring countries the situation is being very different. For example, Portugal is about to define Your auction model. France has awarded Already a great project in the Mediterranean and prepares five more parks in the Vizcaya Gulf. Morocco, meanwhile, has presented A 1,000 MW project on the Atlantic coast for 2029. Meanwhile, Spain is still not a single marine kilowatt in commercial operation. Of the 278 MW of floating wind installed worldwide, according to data from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) June 2025, none is in Spain, although the country has been key in the construction of 100%exported components. In addition, the wind sector also claims that IDAE (Institute for Diversification and Saving Energy) be unlocked to modernize key infrastructure such as the ports of A Coruña, Castellón or Tarragona. Without those logistics nodes ready, the value chain weakens. The look in the Canary Islands. It has profiled as the ideal territory to launch this first pilot auction. The archipelago has a constant winda consolidated logistics chain, political and social consensus, and a high electricity generation cost that could be drastically reduced with marine wind. For AEECanary Islands is the “logical spearhead” to start the commercial development of this technology. Forecasts. The sector expects the Ministry to publish as soon as possible the public consultation for the Ministerial Order and define a clear calendar of upcoming auctions. Meanwhile, the global context does not expect. According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the offshore market grew by 10% in 2024, reaching 83.2 GW installed. Spain is still in time to occupy a prominent place in the European leadership of the floating marine wind. But the opportunity window narrows. The ads are not enough: concrete decisions, clear regulation and political will are needed. Otherwise, the country runs the risk of seeing how others assume that strategic role. And with this, lose not only investment and employment, but a key opportunity to reindustrialize the economy and advance the energy transition. Image | Unspash Xataka | In Peru, a company has had an idea to take wind energy directly to your home: turbines as a lay way

Elon Musk turned an abandoned US factory into the most powerful supercomputer in the world. Nobody thought of the neighbors

by

It would be said that Elon Musk has created A perfect circle Around what until recently it was an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Memphis. There has installed Colossusthe most monstrous supercomputer on the planet to boost AI to new limits and that it defines the future of cars (of Tesla). In order for the combo, it is complete to the richest type in the world, everything is in turn fed by the megabaterías of Tesla. A Win Win For Musk’s framework, although with a problem: the neighbors. A colossus … toxic. The story brought it This week the CNN. In the summer of 2024 Musk transformed an old abandoned factory in southwest Memphis into what he himself proclaimed as “the most powerful supercomputer on the planet.” The project, promoted by its artificial intelligence company XAIpromised to turn the city into a New Technological Mecca (The so -called “Delta Digital”) with Quality jobs and dozens of millions in taxes. However, for Botxtown residents, a mostly black and impoverished community that has lived with decades with Industrial pollutionXai’s arrival has meant a déjà vu environmental: A new source of pollution settled without clear permits, with an apparent contempt for public health. A computer that consumes. To feed “Colossus”, XAI installed 35 gas turbines capable of generating Up to 420 megawattsreleasing toxic gases Nitrogen oxidesultrafine and formaldehyde particles. The problem? Who did Without licenses of air required, welcomed to a legal exemption for temporary machinery, which according to experts does not correspond to it. The area already houses 17 polluting facilities, and various studies indicate that the risk of cancer in the area quadrupple acceptable levels For the EPA. Memphis also has the higher rates of children’s hospitalizations by asthma in all Tennessee. Realities. While the mayor of Memphis, Paul Young, celebrated the transformative potential of the project and anticipated more technological investment, local leaders such as state representative Justin Pearson They have denounced have been excluded from the process. The lack of transparency adds to an obvious regulatory collapse: an installation with the power of an electric plant operating without permits in the middle of a residential neighborhood. To this we must add the most recent thermal snapshots (image below) that indicate that at least 33 of the turbines They were operational in April. Following the controversy, XAI finally requested permission for 15 of them and withdrew 12, but, as CNN counteddamage to trust is made. Promises Project defenders say that “leading standards in emissions” will be achieved, but residents see the employer repeat: Employment promises well paid that do not specify (because the reality is that the data centers use very few), while the environmental load falls on those who have less resources to defend themselves. Plus: The story of Botxtown It is not new. Already in 2021, its inhabitants achieved stop a pipeline that would cross their lands, and in 2023 they closed A sterilization plant that emitted ethylene oxide. For them, therefore, XAI is simply the last chapter of a long struggle for the right … to breathe. Innovation or regression. It is the last of the legs to be treated with the controversy. XAI installation reflects a broader national dilemma than We have counted before on the rise of artificial intelligence and its real cost. Amid the enthusiasm for turning the United States into the “Global Capital of AI” (according to New EPA Guidelines Under the government of Donald Trump), the expansion of data centers Devoradors of energy advances without a serious evaluation of its environmental implicationsespecially in vulnerable communities. The unconditional support of the Executive to Musk, one of Trump’s closest advisors, coincided with the Weakening of environmental policiesthe elimination of ecological justice programs and a rhetoric that prioritizes economic efficiency over human health. The first “stone.” The contradiction seems clear: IA is promoted as the future, but it is fed with fossil technologies of the past, generating private benefits while the risks and damage are socialized. “If innovation chains you to fossil fuels, that’s not progress,” Keshaun Pearson remembereddirector of Memphis Community Against Pollution. Thus, residents fear that what happens in Memphis is just a general essay of what could soon be replicated in similar neighborhoods throughout the country. A tireless struggle. He counted An NBC report That in Botxtown, indignation coexists with fatigue. Many, such as Sarah Gladney (respiratory and resident patient to a few km from the installation), feel they live in a perpetual battle. The possibility of a second meginstalization of XAI, already projected in the city, only increases the sensation of siege. “It seems that we are always at war,” He underlined. A paradox, since while local officials speak of economic transformation, neighbors simply speak of survival. In the background, the collision between the promises of peak technology and the old reality of systemic pollution raises an uncomfortable question: Who pays the price of this digital revolution? In the southwest Memphis, the answer seems sadly clear. Image | Southwings for the Southern Environmental Law Center In Xataka | Musk has created the perfect circle: Tesla’s megabers feed the AI ​​that will define their next cars In Xataka | Some researchers have disassembled the batteries of Tesla and Byd. You know which one yields better and is much cheaper

What neighbors and tourists do not live in the same buildings

by

In Spain, for a long time, talking about housing is doing it upward prices and a pressure increasing For the pocket of families. Especially in big cities, such as Madrid, Barcelona either Malagawhere drawing is further complicated by The pressure that exercises tourist rent in the market. To tackle that challenge the capital has just endowed with A new tool: A plan that aspires to decentralize tourist floors, favor that they leave residential buildings and prevent commercial lows from being converted into vacation floors. The question is … how will theory go from the facts? What happened? That Madrid has just been equipped with which from now on will be its new roadmap to face one of its greatest challenges: the Tourist and Its impact in the housing market. The municipal plenary approved Wednesday, in a anger session And with the solo votes of the PP, the Plan residesthat marks a series of guidelines on where and how tourist floors can be opened from now on. From the outset, its key idea is very simple: the holiday rental will go on the one hand and the residential use for another, so that both uses do not match in the buildings of the center. Click on the image to go to Tweet. What does the plan propose? To understand it before, you have to keep in mind a key: the plan divides the capital into two. On the one hand is the central almond, The most pressured For the floors for tourists and therefore the one that most affected sees its residential market. And on the other is the outer zone, located outside the historic center. The difference is important because each area is regulated differently. It also simplifies the Special Host Plan Previous, 2019, which works on a map with three “rings”. The changes of greater draft will be given in the first circle, that of the central almond of Madrid. The main one is that the City Council wants that from now on in that area the tourist floors will go on the one hand and those of traditional homes on the other. The plan resides expressly prohibits “dispersed tourist floors in residential buildings”, even on low floors. In short, they will not share building in the center. In the blocks that are not destined for residential use, the thing is different. In those cases, tourist floors “without limitations” will be admitted. Are there more news? Yes. The main one is that tourist apartments must concentrate on blocks that are dedicated exclusively to that purpose (I would not affect to the floors that already exist and have a license), but the plan resides includes more novelties. The previous norm, of 2019, allowed convert low floors In tourist apartments, which has led many center stores dedicating themselves to that use, much more profitable than commercial. The City Council Calculate that only between 2015 and 2024 have been converted into homes and tourist floors 3,306 bass. The new municipal plan wants to end that trend. “With the plan resides, the transformation of commercial premises into tourist floors in the historic center and the transformation of premises into homes into the main tertiary roads is not allowed,” They point From the town hall, which requires that outside the historic center there will also be streets and avenues in which the reconversion of premises will be restricted in apartments for holiday rental. And what about the offer? The idea of ​​the plan is to concentrate the tourist offer in blocks dedicated to that purpose, “decentralize” the activity and take it to areas tertiarywhere the impact on homes is therefore lower. Another of its objectives is to “recover and increase” the supply of residential housing in the city center. For that purpose preside includes some strategies to recover buildings now in disuse. For example, it will allow “private, cataloging and obsolete” giving equipment “to affordable rental housing or Coliving as long as its restoration is guaranteed. The City Council estimates that the measure could benefit 210 buildings distributed throughout the city center. The plan will also allow to pass residential buildings classified and located outside commercial areas to tourist use, but with a small print: “only use can be changed for 15 years, with a direct license linked to the rehabilitation and restoration of the building.” “Subsequently, it will return to residential use”, duck. And beyond the center of Madrid? The main change affects the historic center of Madrid, where the City Council will cease to grant licenses for dispersed tourist floors in residential buildings; But the Plan resides It also includes some novelties that affect the neighborhoods located outside that central almond. The most important is that the municipal permits for tourist rental will be granted only to the floors that meet certain characteristics. “Outside the historic center, the City Council allows the implementation of tourist floors under current conditions in both complete buildings and in dispersed homes that live with residential use,” details the Consistory. “In the latter case, the obligation that these tourist floors have independent access on the first floor and ground floor is included as a novelty.” Does plan reside or speculate? Despite the optimism of the government, not everyone believes that the plan will serve to “order” the supply of tourist rental and reduce the pressure it has been exerting on the housing market for years. On the contrary. The opposition already He has warned of the risk that the new regulations end up having a fairly different effect: that buildings in the center of Madrid that are now residential end up converted into blocks of tourist floors. In fact, more Madrid has even renowned the plan: instead of “resides” he speaks of “expels.” Similar notice gave the PSOE, worried that the new plan further worsen the radiography of tourist rent in Madrid. His fear is that, instead of supporting basically in particular That they buy floors with their savings to lease them to tourists and achieve … Read more

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.