Melilla authorizes a multifunctional equestrian center of 11,185 meters in Sidi Guariach

The Assembly of Melilla has definitively approved the declaration of public utility or social interest for an equestrian center activity on non-developable land, which will allow for the installation of a Multifunctional Equestrian Center of 11,185 square meters in the area of Sidi Guariach alto. The agreement was adopted in an ordinary resolution session on September 3, 2026, at the proposal of the Ministry of Economy, Trade, Technological Innovation, Tourism and Development, and is published in the Official Gazette of Melilla (BOME) number 6417, dated September 25, 2026, with the reference BOME-A-2026-1066. The authorization requires reserving at least 10% of the therapeutic spots for groups referred by social services and dismisses the allegation made by deputy Emilio Guerra Muñoz.

A file opened in July 2025

The file is being processed in the Ministry of Economy, Trade, Technological Innovation, Tourism and Development at the request of María Francisca Serón González, whose initial application was submitted in July 2025. During its processing, the admission and public information procedures were carried out, and technical and legal reports were incorporated, including that of the General Directorate of Housing, Heritage and Urban Planning, dated August 3, 2026.

The activity will take place on cadastral plot 56101A002002160000RJ, measuring 11,185 m², located in Polygon 2, Plot 216, classified as Non-Developable Land of Common Protection. The agreement is based on article 13.1 of Royal Legislative Decree 7/2015, which approves the Revised Text of the Land and Urban Rehabilitation Law, allowing for the exceptional legitimization of uses of public or social interest on rural land.

Authorized uses and social condition

The technical report justifies the implementation on rural land due to the livestock component of the activity, which constitutes its primary use, and lists the planned complementary uses:

• Horse-assisted therapies.
• Sporting equestrian activities.
• Specialized training.
• Cultural events and tourism promotion.

The agreement conditions the authorization on the fact that, in accordance with the applicant’s acceptance, a minimum reserve of 10% of the therapeutic spots be made for groups referred by social services or contracted organizations. This condition will be enforceable during the operational phase of the activity and may be requested by the Administration at any time.

Easements and sectoral authorizations

The plot is affected by several urban planning limitations that condition the project:

• Security and interest zone for Defense, between the Pista de Carros and the Border, which requires authorization from the Government Delegation.
• Easement zone of the Fuerte de la Purísima, declared a Property of Cultural Interest.
• Water easement due to its proximity to the channel of the Alfonso XIII River, with a 100-meter police zone.
• Aeronautical easements (AE and HELI lines), which require authorization from AESA.
• Protected zone of Well 14 “Pozo SIDI”, located less than 500 meters away.

The file already includes the authorization from the Ministry of Defense, dated June 2, 2025, and that of the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation, dated July 4, 2025, both subject to conditions that will form part of the authorization and license granted by the Autonomous City. The activity falls under Royal Decree 804/2011, of June 10, on the zootechnical, sanitary, and animal welfare organization of equine holdings, under subtype 2.2.4 for leisure, teaching, and research holdings, which includes hippotherapy.

Dismissed allegation and means of appeal

The file contained a single allegation, signed by Emilio Guerra Muñoz in his capacity as a deputy of the Assembly and member of the Coalición por Melilla Group, which the agreement dismisses. The interested party also presented allegations in defense of their petition during the hearing process.

Against the agreement, which exhausts the administrative route, an optional appeal for reversal may be filed within one month or a contentious-administrative appeal within two months. The announcement is signed by the Acting Secretary General of the Assembly, Diego Giner Gutiérrez, in Melilla on September 23, 2026.

The decision unlocks a facility that, according to the technical report, does not currently exist in the city with a license or authorization from the Administration, and which adds a therapeutic, sporting, and tourist component to its livestock use. The file is now pending the works project phase, where authorizations from the competent bodies must be obtained for the easements affecting the land.

Source: Official Gazette of Melilla (BOME), No. 6417, of September 25, 2026, section I, pp. 4824-4828 (official reference: BOME-A-2026-1066).