The Socialist Group of Torrevieja (PSOE) has accused the Partido Popular (PP) of constructing a “fictitious and unworkable” 2026 municipal budget, after confirming that a key operation used to justify €18 million in expected revenue was never legally approved. According to the Socialists, the PP has attempted to present a land sale that does not exist, relying on income that cannot be collected under the current legal agreement.
PSOE councillor David Villanueva explained that the PP is still bound by the decision taken at the Local Government Board meeting of 8 October, which authorised a land swap (permuta) — not a cash sale. Under that agreement, the council would hand over public plots in exchange for 182 future protected homes (VPO), rather than any direct financial payment.
“There is no resolution, no report, and no legal basis that converts this into a cash operation worth €18 million. That income simply does not exist,” Villanueva said.
“They attempted to sell public land without legal backing”
PSOE spokesperson Bárbara Soler said the PP had attempted to present the arrangement publicly as a direct sale of municipal land, even though the governing agreement makes no mention of money.
“They tried to sell public land without following land law, without reports and without procedure. They have backed down only because of political pressure,” she stated.
Soler said that after weeks of scrutiny from the PSOE, the PP has now stopped referring to the supposed €18 million payment and is instead suggesting that the income could come from the future sale of the protected homes themselves.
“This is effectively an admission that they cannot collect a single euro for the land. The signed agreement does not allow it,” she added.
Soler also criticised the PP’s intention to hand the management of the public housing stock to a private company, arguing that the model would result in Torrevieja losing long-term public control of its affordable homes. Under regional legislation approved by the Mazón government, VPO properties can be declassified after 15, 20, or 30 years, eventually entering the open market.
“The idea that these homes would remain public is false. They would end up contributing to the same speculation that is already pricing local people out of Torrevieja,” she said.
A budget built on income that cannot be collected
Villanueva stressed that the PP’s entire investment plan for 2026 is pinned on the €18 million that cannot legally be collected, making the budget “unrealistic from the outset”.
Among the projects dependent on this income are:
- Reorganisation of the port surroundings (€6.7 million)
- Green zone for Sector 25 (€2.2 million)
- High-technology centre (€1.28 million)
- Refurbishment of the La Plasa building (€4 million)
- Los Locos promenade enhancements (€1 million)
- Park-and-ride car parks (€1 million)
- Participatory budgeting projects (€2 million)
However, under the agreement currently in force, the developer has up to 24 months, plus a 12-month extension, simply to begin construction. They must also obtain planning permission and VPO classification before the land swap is formalised.
“Even in the best-case scenario, these homes will not be ready until 2029. Only then could any sale process begin — and only then could income exist. Not in 2026,” Villanueva explained.
Public housing protected — for now
The PSOE says its intervention has prevented the PP from “disposing of” public land that should form part of Torrevieja’s long-term affordable housing stock. The group has pledged to monitor the future VPO project to ensure the homes remain protected, accessible, and genuinely available for residents who need them.
“What is clear,” the PSOE concluded, “is that the PP tried to push through an irregular operation to balance its budget. It has failed — and the numbers now fall apart. The public deserves honesty, not accounting fantasies.”