The counselor of the Presidency, Justice and Security of the Government of the Canary Islands, Lady Barreto, explained this Thursday that the development of the future City of Justice of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is conditioned on the suspension of the General Plan in the Cabo Llanos area, warning that the procedure will not be "super easy" and will be prolonged over time.
In a statement in a parliamentary committee requested by the Socialist Group, she emphasized that "it is not one year or two, it is time" and recalled that, in many cases, an urban planning suspension of this type does not go "below four or five years."
Barreto pointed out that the current headquarters of the Palace of Justice "has become small" and that there is a notable "dispersion" of judicial bodies in different parts of the capital, which complicates the work of legal operators and citizens. She stressed that it is not a "problem of investment or management," but fundamentally "urban planning."
The counselor expressed her displeasure because in the 2015-2019 legislature the location of El Sobradillo was ruled out, where public service buildings are now being erected, and lamented that since then "no land has been sought but rather trying to enable space near the current one."
She recalled that the suspension of planning was promoted not only in Cabo Llanos but also in areas linked to the tram, the southern train, and the road network to address the improvement of mobility in the southern part of the city, although that solution would only have a partial scope.
As she indicated, the Ministry of Territorial Policy has now decided to limit the suspension exclusively to Cabo Llanos with the aim of speeding up the processing, understanding that mobility actions will be linked to the dismantling of the refinery and the Santa Cruz 2030 Plan.
Barreto insisted that "we would love for it to be resolved so we can start, everything would be in the same space, but we need land. It is not an investment problem, although it will cost a lot, but the Government that is in place will make a clear commitment, the problem is obtaining the land if it is in the center of Santa Cruz."
She described as "regrettable" that the PSOE tries to generate a "controversy" when no location other than Cabo Llanos is contemplated, reiterating that "there cannot be a project" without having the land available beforehand.
Barreto defends that there is no turning back and admits conflicts with the owners
In that line, she has reiterated that "nothing has been rolled back" and that "the path continues," considering it a "great advance" that the suspension of planning is now limited only to the Cabo Llanos environment.
However, she has asked to "be realistic" with the deadlines, recalling that "it would have been easier" to reach an agreement with the owner of one of the affected lands, but "they do not want to sell or be expropriated," which has led them to announce that they will go to court.
The councilor has added that "we would like to solve it, we would gladly put up the money but we need the land; when the suspension is approved, we can commission the project and have a horizon of how much it costs."
From the Socialist Group, Gustavo Matos has warned that the legislature "is ending" and the project "has hardly advanced at all" despite the fact that the competencies are exclusive to the Canary Executive, with "absolutely deficient" and very dispersed judicial infrastructures.
He has stated that he leaves "very concerned" about the "resignation" that, in his opinion, the councilor conveys, as there is no "real planning." He has considered that it has "failed" and that it is a "lost legislature," with a reduced project and without sufficient forecast or budget allocation.
Matos has also asked about the 'Auditorio' building, awarded to the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the 'Las Teresitas case' during the term of Patricia Hernández (PSOE), insisting on knowing the expected dates for its opening.
Likewise, he has warned that they are "going backwards" by reopening the debate on whether Cabo Llanos is the ideal location for the City of Justice, and has directly questioned Barreto: "Do you completely rule it out?".
Criticism from Vox, NC-bc, PP and nuanced support from CC
On behalf of ASG, Jesús Ramos has described the situation as a "puzzle" in which it is still not known how to "fit" the project, emphasizing that it is a "long-term" initiative conditioned by urban factors. "Until it is solved, we are going to remain stuck," he pointed out.
The deputy spokesperson for Vox, Paula Jover, has denounced that there has been "not a bit" of progress and that, on the contrary, there is a "setback" because the project "is reduced by half." She has demanded from Barreto a headquarters "equal" to that of the City of Justice of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Jover has also asked "what is happening with the patch" of the 'Auditorium Building', planned to house up to 25 courts and whose works were tendered in 2024.
From NC-bc, Carmen Hernández has described the accumulated delay as "frustrating" and has lamented that there is not even a "shock plan" to modernize the judicial infrastructures of the archipelago, joking that in this case one cannot resort to "Sánchez's wild card" because the competencies are regional. "They have failed," she has stated.
Mónica Muñoz (PP) has reminded that the capital needs a City of Justice in line with its needs, although she has admitted that the project "is not simple." She has defended that progress must be made in its execution while, in parallel, the "conditions" of the current judicial service are "improved."
Finally, Socorro Beato (CC) has emphasized that it is an "essential infrastructure" and has recalled that, after discarding El Sobradillo, a "complex" urban operation was chosen that is now intended to be "simplified" so that the processing is limited to the area directly affected. "It is not an abandoned project," she has concluded.