Raíces Marines has asked Ports IB to halt the project to reorganize the Formentor Bay mooring field in order to assess its environmental impact and study alternatives with less impact on the seabed. The project involves installing 29 large concrete blocks (1.71 x 1.71 x 0.5 meters) to create a buoy field. According to the organization, the documentation analyzed does not include any environmental impact study or associated document that would allow determining whether the initiative has undergone the required assessment procedure. Raíces Marines also warns that the project does not include an adequate characterization of the seabed nor does it describe the benthic habitats present in the area. In this regard, it points out the presence of seagrass meadows. Cymodocea nodosa in the Bay of Formentor, which are neither mentioned nor mapped in the project.

The reform of the Formentor buoy field has been suspended after the Central Administrative Court of Contractual Appeals issued a precautionary halt to the public tender launched by Ports de les Illes Balears to award the management of regulated mooring areas in several zones of the Natura 2000 network. The suspension was agreed upon following an appeal filed by the Association of Navigators (ADN), which believes the tender violates both the Posidonia seagrass protection decree and basic administrative requirements. The association's president, Lorenzo Pons, emphasizes that the association "is not against buoy fields" but rather the model being implemented. Among the main criticisms, he highlights the lack of designated anchorage areas on sand, the failure to guarantee the safety of vessels in winds exceeding ten knots, and the requirement to book in advance without the option of prepayment. in situSide mooring between vessels, a common practice under certain conditions, is also prohibited. ADN asserts that the appeal stems from the nautical sector's frustration with what they consider mismanagement of the buoy fields. "We're talking about exorbitant prices, treatment that makes us feel like criminals, and the prohibition of anchoring even in sandy areas," says Pons. The association also questions whether the tender complies with the Posidonia seagrass protection decree, which stipulates that buoy fields must be a public service managed by a public entity. According to the boaters, this requirement is not guaranteed under the current tender process.

The Formentor peninsula is entering a new phase of urban development. The Pollença Town Council gave initial approval this Thursday to the modification of the area's urban development plan, a lengthy and complex document that will replace the plan in force since 1990 and which, according to Mayor Martí March, represents "one of the most significant achievements of the current legislative term in terms of urban planning." This initial approval now opens a 45-day period for public comment, following the Town Council's submission of the necessary documentation in January: the amended urban planning regulations, the environmental impact assessment, and the new urban land use plan for Formentor. March argued that the new plan responds to a clear need for updating. "We're talking about a completely outdated plan, 35 years old. It was essential to have a document adapted to the present day and with a future perspective," he stated. The mayor also acknowledged the difficulty of the process: "It has been hard work, in a short time, all with the aim of reaching provisional and final approval with the broadest possible consensus." This consensus, he explained, was sought through meetings with municipal groups, associations of owners of villas and plots in Formentor, individual owners, the Formentor real estate agency, and the GOB (Balearic Ornithological Group). "There has been a clear commitment to ensuring the maximum possible participation," March emphasized, insisting that the ultimate goal is to have a plan "with long-term sustainability." Protecting the seafront and creating more green spaces

One of the central pillars of the new document is the protection of the seafront. The plan aims to keep the first line of the coast free of buildings, with the goal of preventing new construction that would create a visual impact and degrade the landscape. This approach follows the urban development moratorium approved a year ago by the full municipal council, which suspended the granting of new licenses in Formentor while the new regulatory framework was being drafted. "Formentor is a jewel that all the residents of Pollença understand as such," said the mayor, who defended the need to preserve its image and natural values. Along the same lines, the new plan reinforces the public character of the space and significantly increases the area designated for green spaces, from approximately 37,000 square meters to nearly 45,000. It also aims to maintain the existing tree cover and strengthen the structure of public spaces. Likewise, the amount of land eligible for urban development is reduced: from the 81,000 square meters previously planned to 60,000. The document also aims to decrease real estate pressure, eliminate auxiliary housing, and maintain the current number of houses, without any increase in the housing stock.

]]>

The beachfront of the Formentor peninsula will no longer see any new construction. This is the plan that the Pollença Town Council intends to establish in the document it will present to the full council at the end of January for initial approval of the modification to the urban plan for this emblematic area. This modified General Plan will replace the one in effect since 1990 and will define the future of the peninsula. One of the most significant changes is precisely this: the beachfront will be protected from new villa construction, a decision designed to curb indiscriminate growth, preserve the natural environment, and protect the landscape heritage. This measure comes after the council approved a building moratorium in January of last year, suspending new permits, with the aim of having the necessary time to draft a new regulatory framework suited to the current reality of the area.

]]>

Vehicle access restrictions to Formentor will begin on May 15th next year. This decision was reached on Wednesday by the Pollença Town Council and the Consell de Mallorca (Island Council of Mallorca) at a meeting where they agreed to extend the restriction until October 15th. Closing times will be set from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. "This change is due to the decrease in activity during the second half of October. The Pollença council requested that these two weeks be added to May, as the number of visitors is higher then," sources from the Consell stated. Until last year, driving on the Formentor road was prohibited from June 1st to September 30th, and this year the restriction was extended until the end of October. As in previous years, access to Formentor will only be permitted by public transport, on foot, or by bicycle. This meeting consolidates two levels of restrictions, allowing only authorized vehicles, public transport, emergency services, and bicycles to circulate. The first level begins at the port of Pollença and extends to Formentor beach. The second level runs from Formentor beach to the lighthouse.

]]>

One million and a few hundred is what it will cost Inmobiliaria Formentor to have demolished an iconic building, the Formentor Hotel, without a permit. And not only that: immediately afterward, the construction of the new building was carried out from scratch, for which it also lacked a permit.

]]>

Outrage in Pollença over a massive bottle party in a protected area. The incident took place on Saturday night at the Colomer viewpoint on the Formentor peninsula. The images show a large number of young people in a small space, in a festive mood, drinking and dancing to the rhythm emanating from a large loudspeaker. One of the images also shows theafterparty, with the surroundings littered with plastic cups, cans and glass bottles scattered on the floor.

]]>