Canary Islands Government clears way for new Puerto del Rosario courthouse, requiring Town Council to amend its general plan

The Canary Islands Government has cleared the planning process for the new courthouse in Puerto del Rosario, ruling in favour of the project after a disagreement with the Town Council. The council had said the project did not comply with planning law because it occupied land designated as open space, included an unplanned road and affected two plots whose merger had not been demonstrated.

The decision is set out in Decree 166/2026, approved on 26 October and published on Tuesday, 3 November, in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands. The agreement authorises the project subject to conditions and orders the parallel start of amendments to local planning, but does not set a date for construction to begin.

A courthouse bringing judicial services together

The project involves building a new administrative complex to bring together judicial bodies and services currently spread across different premises. It also includes improvements to the outdoor areas and the infrastructure needed to connect the site with its urban surroundings.

The project is located between Eustaquio Juan Santana Gil Avenue and the urban stretch of the FV-10, and Antonio Espinosa and Lucha Canaria streets.

It affects plots AD-013, designated for administrative use, and EL-010, designated as open space. Both are classified as consolidated urban land.

According to the decree, bringing the services together will improve coordination, make better use of space and make it easier for the public to access the Justice Administration.

The Town Council’s planning objections

The Town Council’s Department of Municipal Works, Urban Planning and Development declared the project “not in compliance with planning law” in a decree dated 9 January 2026.

The council said the building extended across both plots without respecting the boundaries of the open space set out in the General Plan. It also raised concerns about a new road, next to another plot designated for administrative use, that was not included in the plan.

The project also failed to comply with the Municipal Building Ordinance, which requires building projects to affect only one plot. In this case, the plots’ merger had not been demonstrated.

Following the council’s objection, the Deputy Ministry of Justice and Security asked the Canary Islands Government to intervene to resolve the disagreement and authorise the project.

The Government has applied the procedure set out in the Land Act for these public projects, which allows planning disputes to be resolved and the project to proceed without a municipal permit.

Amendment to the General Plan

The decree orders the parallel start of the procedure to amend the provisions of the General Plan needed to carry out the project.

The decision may be challenged through an optional application for reconsideration within one month, or by bringing an administrative-law case before the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands within two months, starting from the day after its notification or publication.

Judicial bodies in Puerto del Rosario are currently spread across four different premises. This makes it harder for the Justice Administration to operate and serve the public, as well as limiting scope for future growth.

The new building will bring together all the courts serving the Puerto del Rosario Judicial District under one roof, improving conditions for professionals and users and modernising the delivery of an essential public service.

On 5 October, the Canary Islands Government authorised multi-year expenditure of €70,011,128 for the contract and construction of the new Puerto del Rosario Palace of Justice.