98 of the path´s 179 kilometres affects private land

Tribunal to decide price of land purchased for Camí de Cavalls

Map. The Camí de Cavalls almost follows the coastline

Landowners do not agree with the Island Council´s offer of 3 euros per sq.m. and are asking an average price of 40 euros per sq.m. for expropriated land

C.M.W..Maó

Recent meetings between the Island Council and the landowners affected by the Camí de Cavalls have drawn to a conclusion without any agreement being reached. Individual interviews were held with 90 of the 120 property owners whose land is to be expropriated for the public bridle path and, whilst legal representatives of those affected acknowledge the criteria used by the Island Council to fix the offer of 3 euros per sq. metre, the owners have decided that the price should be determined by a court.

The Councillor for Territorial Planning, Marc Pons, explained that the Council has fixed the price based on the fact that it is to be purchased for a right of way and classifying the land as rustic. The 70 owners, however, maintain that the land should be valued as building land; their argument being that the Camí de Cavalls is a road and as such will be included in the road network of all the island´s district councils. They are demanding an average payment of 40 euros per sq. metre expropriated.

Marc Pons has stated that the Council will respect the decision made by the Expropriation Jury but is confident that the valuation made by the Island Council will be ratified. He is hopeful that a decision will be reached within six or seven months so that the Council can fulfil its announced intention of owning the land by the end of the year.

Another of the landowners´ demands still to be resolved is the construction of dry stone walls along the stretch of the path which crosses private land. Pons says that this is not accepted by the Council although it may be done in some sections, but that it has been agreed to erect gates to delimit properties.

Route changes

The Councillor stated that the majority of landowners had shown an interest in asking for a change of route for sections of the path, a right recognised in the Camí de Cavalls Law. However, such a request would be dependent on certain conditions being present, such as the path crossing cultivated land or an environmentally fragile area, or passing close to inhabited houses. He remarked that if there is an alternative to the problem the Council would be willing to look at it in a positive way.

The Camí de Cavalls is 179 kilometres long, 98 kilometres of which affect private land. Only 7 kilometres are public property and 74 pass through built-up areas or along roads. Taking into account that the path is 5 metres in width, then a total of 50 sq. kilometres of private land will have to be expropriated for which the Council has a sum of 1.3 million euros.

The Councillor finished by saying that, apart from the appeal lodged by the owners of s´Hort des Lleó (near Addaia) where the court found in favour of the Council, there were others to be resolved but that he was confident that the courts would again find in favour of the Council as the arguments were very similar.