SPAIN: About 100,000 illegal homes face demolition in Spain, according to a new prosecutor appointed to tackle building fraud.
Special prosecutor Antonio Vercher said yesterday that Spanish law was clear that illegal homes should be demolished, regardless of whether they had been bought in good faith.
Mr Vercher said he did not believe that most owners were unaware that their houses were illegal, and that many had benefited from lower prices for properties. A simple check at the local property register should reveal whether a building had been properly approved, he said.
Campaigners in southwest Spain, meanwhile, were celebrating a victory over a hotel and villas development near the River Guadiana, after local authorities said they would not grant permission on environmental grounds. The area is a habitat for endangered species such as the Iberian lynx and the imperial eagle. - (Guardian service)