The Island Council of Ibiza has granted initial approval to the Provisional Planning Regulations for Sant Josep de sa Talaia during a session of the Island Commission for Spatial Planning, Urban Development and Historical Heritage (CIOTUPHA). The decision includes the partial suspension of the municipality’s Subsidiary Planning Rules dating back to 1986, following a formal request from the local council and the recognition that the existing framework contained long-standing inconsistencies and regulatory shortcomings.
With this initial approval, Sant Josep will have a temporary but stable and coherent planning framework while the revision of the general urban plan is being drafted. One of the most significant measures is the designation, for the first time, of land specifically intended for industrial and service activities around Ibiza Airport, addressing the long-standing shortage of suitable space and allowing for the reorganisation of scattered economic activities.
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Ibiza advances Sant Josep’s new urban planning framework with the initial approval of the Provisional Regulations
The Provisional Regulations also allocate land for protected housing and reorganise several urban areas and strategic access points, including entrances to Sant Josep and areas such as Cala de Bou and Sant Jordi. These measures aim to improve mobility, increase public open spaces and enable new public facilities, while maintaining an almost neutral balance between new land classifications and declassifications. Tourist rentals in multi-family residential buildings on urban land are also prohibited, strengthening urban planning tools to combat illegal tourist accommodation.
Under the new framework, the total area of urban and developable land in Sant Josep is reduced from 2,162 hectares to 1,310 hectares, representing a 47.8% decrease. The regulations establish a maximum theoretical population capacity of 43,720 inhabitants in urban areas, although direct development is limited to 31,702 inhabitants, with additional growth subject to verified water resource availability, ensuring alignment with Ibiza’s environmental constraints.
The Provisional Planning Regulations also secure land for public facilities and organise strategic sectors, including a directly planned developable area of 8.93 hectares linked to the existing industrial zone, land for a future Civil Guard barracks in Can Burgos, cultural and sports facilities in Cala de Bou, and the future expansion of the Sant Jordi educational centre.
Ibiza Island Council President Vicent Marí stated that the decision was “essential to safeguard the general interest and ensure that Sant Josep has a viable planning framework while the new general plan is being prepared”. Sant Josep Mayor Vicent Roig welcomed the approval, highlighting that the regulations provide legal certainty and help reduce pressure on rural land.
Following this initial approval, the Provisional Planning Regulations will undergo a twenty-working-day public consultation period and the required sectoral assessments, including strategic environmental evaluation, before proceeding towards final approval.