In addition, it has agreed to initiate a study on the current situation of this type of establishments in the municipality and to analyze a possible modification of the urban regulations in this regard.

The City Council of Pamplona/Iruña pointed out in a statement that there are several social and administrative reasons that led to this action. On the one hand, the "social alarm" about the proliferation of such establishments and the addictive impact of the game. On the other hand, there is the need for a new regulation of these premises. Finally, the decision of the Government of Navarre of 30 October last to suspend for six months the concessions for authorizations for the opening of new establishments in the Foral Community, in order to analyse a regulatory change.

Both administrations, both the Foral Government and the City Hall, go hand in hand in this matter, since they have concurrent competences. As long as the Foral Executive authorizes the activity in advance, the municipalities are empowered to grant the licenses of works and openness. In order to be able to exploit such a site, it is necessary to have the licences of both administrations, but these licences are independent of each other. Therefore, in view of the suspension approved by the Foral Government, it could be the case that a premises had municipal licenses, but it could not open them because it did not have a prior activity license.

This is precisely one of the reasons why the City of Pamplona has decided this suspension, a way of not granting licences that could be contrary to the future regulation of autonomy. In this sense, he considers it necessary to know the regulation of the Government of Navarra in order to establish a coordinated urban regulation.

Reform of the Municipal Plan

The municipal group of EH Bildu presented on 11 September as a normative proposal a regulation of betting houses and gambling dens and measures for the prevention of gambling pathology. The proposal included urban and other aspects relating to advertising, sponsorship and addiction prevention measures.

Prior consultation with stakeholders (associations of gambling dens and gambling dens) took place on this initiative and contributions were collected which will serve as a basis for the regulation that is now under way.

The Committee on Urban Planning unanimously approved on 23 October “to request the City Council to study and, where appropriate, initiate the dossier of suspension of licences”, pending the proposal for urban regulation. It also agreed to work in a coordinated manner with the Government of Navarra and with the presentation of the foral Parliament in the adoption of measures in this area.

However, the suspension of the licences proposed in that proposal cannot be done by ordinance. For this reason, the City Council has proposed the reform of the General Urban Regulation of the Municipal Plan that regulates the implementation of urban uses and activities, in order to respond to this proposal.

In addition, the legal services provide for the suspension of licences before the initial approval of the new urban planning legislation for a maximum period of one year, which can be extended twice if the initial approval takes place within that first period. This pre-suspension is limited to a precautionary measure guaranteeing the new urban planning regime. The Local Government Board is the body competent to take this decision, as it did at this Monday’s sitting.