La Frontera submits its new General Urban Development Plan for public review

The Vice-Ministry of Territorial Planning and Demographic Challenge of the Government of the Canary Islands has opened for public consultation the environmental documentation of the Ordinary Strategic Environmental Assessment procedure for the General Planning Plan (PGO) of La Frontera, in El Hierro. The announcement, dated September 18, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands no. 196, of September 30, 2026, in section V. Announcements – Other announcements (announcement no. 3381, page 35726). Any interested natural or legal person has forty-five (45) business days to examine the file and make any statements they consider necessary.

The procedure begins with Resolution no. 56, of September 9, 2026, issued by the Vice-Minister of Territorial Planning and Demographic Challenge, which initiates the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the municipal planning. The processing complies with articles 45.1.a) and 83 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations, and articles 5.1.g) and 19 of Law 21/2013, of December 9, on environmental assessment. The file is identified as 13/2026-5901.

Forty-five business days to file objections

The period of forty-five business days is calculated from the publication of the announcement in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, that is, from September 30, 2026. During this period, interested parties and those who have not been previously consulted may review the documentation and submit their observations.

The documentation submitted for consultation is as follows:

• The draft of the General Planning Plan of La Frontera.
• The Initial Strategic Document of the environmental assessment procedure.

Who promotes and who reports

The distribution of competencies in this file is established in the announcement itself:

• Promoter: City Council of La Frontera.
• Substantive body: City Council of La Frontera.
• Environmental body: Autonomous Environmental Assessment Commission (CAEA).
• Municipality and island: La Frontera, El Hierro.

The announcement is signed in Santa Cruz de Tenerife by the Vice-Minister of Territorial Planning and Demographic Challenge, Elena Zárate Altamirano, by delegation of the Agreement of July 14, 2026, of the Autonomous Environmental Assessment Commission.

Consultation of the file and scope of the procedure

The documentation can be consulted at the link enabled by the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Waters for the environmental assessment of plans under Law 21/2013: https://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/planificacionterritorial/materias/evaluacion-ambiental/evaluacion-ambiental-de-planes-l21-2013/

The announcement specifies that the purpose of this consultation is to gather the precise environmental information necessary to prepare the Scoping Document, “without assessing other types of considerations,” in accordance with Article 18.2 of the Canary Islands Planning Regulations. This is, therefore, a preliminary environmental phase and not the final approval of the planning.

The opening of this procedure directly affects owners, neighbors, and economic agents of the municipality, as the General Zoning Plan is the instrument that classifies the land and defines the urban uses of the entire municipal district of La Frontera. Participation in the public information period is the formal channel for affected parties to incorporate their observations before the Autonomous Environmental Assessment Commission issues the Scoping Document, which will condition the environmental content of the future plan.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 196, of September 30, 2026, V. Announcements – Other announcements, page 35726 (official reference: announcement no. 3381).