The Elorrio City Council has called for a tender to purchase rustic land

The Elorrio City Council has called for a public tender to purchase rustic land, through a file affecting property agents and local territorial planning. By means of the Mayor’s Decree 532/2026, on September 2, 2026, file 2026-01642 and the Particular Administrative Clauses Document that will regulate its scope were approved. The announcement was published in the Official Gazette of Bizkaia (Boletín Oficial de Bizkaia), issue number 175, on September 14, 2026, in section II.

Purpose and conditions of the tender

The purpose of the tender is to acquire rustic land to conserve local species, forests, and ecosystems, and to promote policies in favor of biodiversity. The areas of interest are the peaks that border the municipalities of Berriz, Zaldibar, Elgeta, Atxondo, and Arrasate, the police zone of rivers and streams, and those adjacent to council-owned lands.

The lands must have a minimum area of 1 hectare, with the following exceptions:

• Being a property segregated in the registry.
• Being adjacent to a council-owned plot of land.
• Being adjacent to other plots of land and together totaling 1 hectare or more.

Furthermore, the property must be free of charges and encumbrances, and municipal taxes and fees must be paid. If debts exist, they may be deducted from the purchase price.

Price and financing

The maximum price of the bid is 3,000 euros/hectare (0.30 euros/m²), and no economic proposal exceeding this amount may be submitted. The price will be calculated based on the actual measurement after the land has been surveyed and a topographic map has been created. Notary and Registry expenses will be borne by the Elorrio City Council.

The Council has sufficient credit in the 2026 budgets, charged to item 4140.600.00 “Purchase of land”, with an amount of 15,000 euros. Payment will be made in two installments:

• 50% upon execution of the public deed.
• The remaining 50% within eight days of registration in the property registry.

Proposals and selection criteria

Proposals must be submitted in writing, in two sealed envelopes, at the Elorrio City Council’s Citizen Service Center (SAC) or by certified mail. The deadline is two months, starting from the day following the publication of the announcement in the BOB, and ends at 14:00 on the final day. Each envelope shall contain the administrative documentation and report, or the economic offer, and it is forbidden to include any reference to the price in Envelope 1.

The selection criteria are as follows:

• Economic offer (maximum 40 points).
• Area of the land (maximum 30 points).
• Proximity to council-owned lands (maximum 30 points).

Therefore, the best economic offer will be valued at 40 points, and the others through a proportional formula. Regarding proximity, being adjacent to the municipal land grants 30 points, being less than 250 meters away grants 20, and being between 250 and 500 meters grants 10. In the event of a tie, a downward oral bidding process will be held, and if that does not resolve it, it will be decided by lottery.

Award and formalization

The Contracting Board will evaluate the offers and create a proposal list, according to the score, until the budgetary allocation is exhausted. The award will be made according to Article 159 of the LCSP, and the person who presented the most economically advantageous offer will have a period of seven business days to present the documentation. If the buyer does not comply, a 3% economic penalty will be imposed and the documentation will be requested from the next bidder.

The purchase will be formalized in a public deed, and the property will be registered in the property registry in the name of the Elorrio City Council. The formalization period will be a maximum of one month from the notification of the award, and may be extended up to 15 business days. On the day of the deed, the property must be free of occupants and free of charges; otherwise, the purchase will be waived and the process will continue with the next bidder.

This competition is of special importance to increase the municipal heritage of Elorrio and to protect lands of high environmental value, as it opens a clear and regulated path for private owners to sell their lands to the council.

Fuente: Official Gazette of Bizkaia, number 175, September 14, 2026, section II, pp. 1-11. (official reference: BOB-2026a175-(II-4750)).