The subject of Aroztegi was discussed as a matter of urgency in the ordinary plenary session last Thursday, following the letter submitted by EH Bildu. The motion for EH Bildu was adopted by a majority of Udalbaltza with eight votes in favour of EH Bildu and Left-Ezkerra and five against Navarre Suma and Geroa Bai.

With the decision taken, once again, the Baztan City Hall shows its disagreement with the Aroztegi project. The City Hall of Baztan has also asked the Government of Navarre to cancel the sectoral supramunicipal plan and withdraw the declaration of foreign interest from it. The City Council has also denounced the failure of the Government of Navarre to comply with the judgment of the court of public contracts of the foral government. He has also denounced the suffocating police presence in Lekaroz and called on the police to move from the area. Finally, the Baztan City Council approved to show its solidarity with the population that opposes the project and with the people of Lekaroz.

‘Urban project that does not respect Baztan’s institutions and capacities’

According to the motion approved by the Baztan City Hall, ‘the urban project of Aroztegi de Lekaroz has been carried out above the will of the neighbours and neighbours of Lekaroz, without respecting the institutions and potentialities of Baztan’. Similarly, the paper points out that ‘the Governments of Navarra, led by UPN and Geroa Bai, have recalified 45 hectares of forests and agricultural land through a supramunicipal sectoral plan. In an urban play that has nothing to do with the need for the houses of the valley, to reach 228 uni-relatives from scratch”. The fact that the Government of Navarra approved the Aroztegi project as a supramunicipal sectoral plan is “quite surprising” in the municipal lines, as “the government itself said that the request for the first project was dealt with in the city hall through the structuring modification of the municipal plan”.

‘It is surprising that luxury is declared of foreign interest’

On the other hand, the letter approved yesterday states that the Government of Navarre declared Aroztegi to be of special interest, and shows its surprise that “it has declared a luxury hotel, a golf turf and 228 single-family homes of interest”. The motion also stresses that ‘a major political defender, Manu Aierdi, had to resign from his office for the judicial complaint of another economic project’.

‘In any event – as the motion states – through the Aroztegi distribution area, the lands of small farmers and landowners and communal lands of the baztans, on the decisions of the Aroztegi clearing board, have been subjected to such a flurry.’ In the opinion of the City Council, ‘the effort made by the promoter of the takeover of the Lekaroz hermitage’ is noteworthy.

‘In Baztan there are 860 vacant houses and 520 are the second residence’

In addition, the City Hall’s letter denounces that “it is intended to create a new population nucleus with Lekaroz of 800 inhabitants to build 228 new single-family homes in Baztan when there are 860 empty dwellings or 520 dwellings used as a second dwelling”.

The City Hall recalls that at the time they also wanted to make a project in Amaiur Kisua; “and then in the assemblies of Amaiur and Arizkun they opposed the project there. Currently, in this area is the 8-hectare eco-block, the economic project and the jobs related to land.’

On the other hand, the letter adopted yesterday states that ‘Arozteguía Palace, once the social debate has been lost, has tried to silence the opinion contrary to the project, with legal complaints against the citizens and the elect’. Under these conditions, the project has been initiated, signing the Rethinking Act on 18 March.

However, in order to be able to start the urbanization works, the Jury of Public Contracts of Navarra has annulled the award of the urbanization works. And ratified by the Superior Court of Justice of Navarra. ‘Despite the fact that the judgment is not final, Arozteguía Palace has begun the work, says the motion adopted. After the approval by the Government of Navarra of the Sectoral Plan for Supramunicipal Incidence, the Reparcellation Plan and the Urbanization Project, it is now being ignored to implement the resolution of the Court of Public Contracts which is its own".

In this context, the citizens have begun to camp against the project, paralyzing the works, and in this context there has been an "unbearable presence" of the police in Lekaroz, according to the mayor's group of Lekaroz.