The Urban Planning Management has withdrawn the file from the agenda of this Friday's executive committee to analyse Vox's observations. The mayor defends that it complies with the law.
The Urban Planning Management of Seville City Council has postponed the approval of the building license for the projected Islamic cultural centre in Polígono Sur. The file has been removed from the agenda of the executive committee scheduled for this Friday, after Vox requested a review of the proposal.
The City Council has requested technical and legal reports to analyse the observations submitted by the municipal group of Vox. Municipal sources have explained that it is a matter of determining whether it is appropriate to consider them before deciding on the granting of the license.
A project that has faced two delays in one week
The file had already suffered a first delay this week. The license was expected to be approved last Monday, but the Urban Planning executive committee was postponed due to a technical failure, according to official sources.
Despite this new halt, the mayor of Seville, José Luis Sanz, stated this Thursday that the project meets legal requirements. "We are aware of the social impact that this issue generates, but ideologies do not take precedence over legality. We must comply with the law," he affirmed.
The Mezquita de Sevilla Foundation defends the legality of the project
The spokesperson for the Mezquita de Sevilla Foundation, Jalid Nieto, asserted that the project has passed all municipal technical reviews and that there are no legal grounds to deny the license. He indicated that if the procedure remains stalled or the authorization is ultimately rejected, the entity will file the corresponding appeals and, if necessary, will go to court.
The project, promoted by the Mezquita de Sevilla Foundation, involves the construction of a cultural and social centre with a prayer space on a plot located on Avenida Victoria Domínguez Cerrato, in Polígono Sur. Designed by architect Guillermo Vázquez Consuegra, the complex will include, in addition to the prayer hall, cultural spaces, areas for collective work, a courtyard, and a café.
An investment of 12 million for Polígono Sur
The initiative, promoted since 2004, has a budget of 12 million euros financed through private contributions and has been presented by its promoters as a project open to the entire city. According to the information provided, it represents the largest private investment planned to date in the district.
Meanwhile, Vox maintains its opposition to the project, considering it fundamentally a mosque, and has announced that it will promote the judicial, political, and administrative actions it deems appropriate to try to prevent its development. In contrast, the Foundation's representatives insist that the file complies with current urban regulations and has received the approval of municipal technicians.
The residents of Polígono Sur, a neighbourhood with high unemployment and social exclusion rates, see this project as an opportunity for economic and social revitalisation. The construction of the Islamic cultural centre could generate jobs and attract visitors to the area, although the political controversy threatens to delay its execution.
The next step will be the issuance of the technical and legal reports requested by Urban Planning. Depending on their content, the executive committee could resume the approval of the license in the coming weeks or, conversely, open a period for allegations that could prolong the process. For now, the project remains uncertain.
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