C.M.W..MaóThe Official College of Quantity Surveyors and Technical Architects in Menorca last week presented a statistical résumé of their work for the first time, containing a database which will be expanded in future years and will act as a useful reference for town planning.
The first item worthy of note in the report is that during 2005 the total number of square metres of construction granted a building licence dropped considerably compared with the previous year: in 2004, 425,900 sq.m. of construction were approved, last year the figure fell by almost 18%, to 349,300 sq.m.
The President of the college, Josep Maria Michelena, declined to assess the figures, due to there being insufficient information to draw conclusions, but suggested that the decrease could be due to the start of a slowing-down in the construction sector or to 2004 having been an exceptional year for building.
Another interesting fact is the increase in the number of blocks comprising more than four flats which have been granted permits. Since 2003 the increase in this type of residential unit has grown out of proportion with other models - detached, semi-detached and blocks of four or less apartments. However, the demand for blocks of flats varies in different parts of the island. In districts with coastal resorts there is a greater demand for detached residences, Sant Lluís being a prime example, whereas in others, such as Maó, Ciutadella, Es Castell or Es Mercadal, blocks of more than four flats appear to be the order of the day.
Far more money is spent on constructing new properties than on alterations to existing residences. In 2001 some 95.2 million euros were spent in Menorca on new construction and only 18 on alterations; by 2005 these figures were 151.5 million and 21.8 million euros respectively.
