Pedro Puche, new Urban Planning Manager in Manacor: "Administration must stop being an obstacle and become a facilitator."

ManacorThe Manacor City Council presented Pedro Puche Andreu, the first head of the new Urban Planning Department, this Friday. He was recently appointed by the full council with the unanimous support of all 21 councilors. This marks the culmination of the process to create the new technical body, established to address the challenges arising from the municipality's growth and reduce permit processing times. Manacor Mayor Miquel Oliver emphasized that this appointment "closes a process that had been ongoing for far too long" and allows for "the definitive filling of a key position to strengthen the Urban Planning area." He stressed that "urban planning must be as efficient as possible" and that the accumulated shortcomings in the department "have caused delays that we want to reverse." According to the mayor, Pedro Puche's dual experience, both in the City Council and in the private sector, has been a determining factor.

The Delegate for Urban Planning, Núria Hinojosa, emphasized that creating and filling the manager position was one of the department's top priorities. She noted that Puche "has demonstrated competence, cooperation, and absolute commitment" and stressed the importance of immediately streamlining processes, unifying criteria, and improving efficiency.

Hinojosa explained that the department has already added staff in recent months to strengthen the area and that the arrival of the manager will allow this reorganization to be consolidated. She also announced that a meeting with the private sector will be held on December 22nd to introduce the new manager and begin coordinating criteria and procedures.

Regarding current processing times, the delegate explained that "on average, a new urban construction permit can take two and a half years," a situation caused by several factors, including deficiencies in the projects and reports from other government agencies. However, he cautioned that the improvements "will not be immediate" and will not be clearly noticeable "until mid-2026."

"It's an exciting challenge"

The new manager, Pedro Puche Andreu, expressed his satisfaction with the appointment and the unanimous support of the City Council: "I wasn't expecting it. You feel a great deal of support when you see that all 21 councilors voted for you. It's a responsibility and, at the same time, a motivation." Puche, an architect and lawyer, has worked for seven years in the Urban Planning department as a temporary civil servant and has experience in the private sector. He pointed out that the main challenge is reducing the processing times for licenses: "We know there is public discontent due to the long waits. Our goal is to drastically reduce these times and move forward with the implementation of the General Plan." The Urban Planning Department was created by the City Council in 2024 and is part of the municipal strategy to modernize the department, ensure rigorous application of the General Plan, and improve citizen services. The selection process had seven candidates, five of whom reached the personal interview stage. The position is filled by free appointment, as established by the regulations approved by the plenary session.