Sóller will force the March family to remove the barrier from the Bàlitx road

The Sóller Town Council will approve a resolution next week, in a plenary session, that will require the owners of the Bàlitx de Enmig estate, belonging to the March family, to remove the barrier that has for years blocked access to a public path included in both the municipal catalog and the Dry Stone Route of the Consell de Mallorca (Mallorca Council). The decision was agreed upon at the last Heritage Committee meeting, where several matters related to the environment and the conservation of public heritage were discussed. According to municipal sources, the resolution will give the owners a maximum of eight days to remove the barrier blocking the path. In case of non-compliance, the Town Council itself will carry out the removal at the owners' expense. The City Council intends to restore normalcy to a historic route connecting Sóller and Fornalutx with La Costera and Cala Tuent, which was irregularly closed in 2009. Although the path is part of the public heritage, no action was taken against the fencing for over a decade. It wasn't until 2021 that the Balearic Government's Environmental Agents reported the situation. This action subsequently led to a fine against the Sóller City Council itself by the Territorial Defense Agency (ADT) of the Council of Mallorca, which imposed a coercive penalty of 600 euros per month for failing to restore public access. This penalty was appealed, and its collection is currently suspended. Attempt to divert the route

Following several complaints and reports, the owners of the estate created an alternative route, aiming to divert hikers away from the main house. However, this detour was not authorized. Initially, the Consell de Mallorca (Mallorca Council) had included this variant within the Dry Stone Route, but ultimately did not admit it in the final approval of the Special Plan, modified in 2022. In addition to the detour, the owners installed information panels that mimicked the official signage of the Consell on mountain routes. This action contributed to confusing hikers and solidified the closure of the historic path, which remains publicly owned and must remain open. With the approval of the resolution, the Sóller City Council takes a step towards ending a conflict that has been entrenched for more than a decade and guaranteeing free access to one of the emblematic sections of the public path network in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range.