The Socialist spokesperson in the Seville City Council, Antonio Muñoz, has urged the local government to grant the construction licence for the Islamic cultural centre in Polígono Sur if the requirements are met. Muñoz accuses Mayor José Luis Sanz of yielding to pressures from Vox.
The spokesperson for the Socialist Municipal Group in the Seville City Council, Antonio Muñoz, has responded to the controversy generated in recent weeks by the project to construct an Islamic cultural centre in Polígono Sur. In an interview with Cadena SER, the former mayor defended that the granting of the construction licence should be based exclusively on technical and urban planning criteria, not political ones.
Regulated licence and political pressure
Muñoz reminded that this is a regulated administrative procedure and that, if the private promoter meets all the requirements, there is no legal reason to deny the licence. "We are talking about an operation between private promoters from which not a single euro will come from municipal coffers," he emphasised.
The Socialist leader has criticised the attitude of the mayor, José Luis Sanz, whom he accuses of responding more to the pressure from Vox than to technical issues. "If the City Council does not grant the construction licence for the mosque, we are talking about something else," he concluded.
"The City Council only has to grant a construction licence. If all the requirements are met, what would be the reason not to grant it?"
Housing: tense market and tourist apartments
Housing has been another focus of his statements. Muñoz recalled that the PSOE requested in June the declaration of Seville as a tense residential market area to contain the rise in rents, a measure that has not progressed. "We have brought 43 housing measures to the Plenary and all were rejected. Some would be good for the city," he lamented.
For the Socialist spokesperson, the expansion of tourist apartments is one of the main factors explaining the price surge. "We need to put a cap on prices. A large part of the reasons explaining this surge are the tourist apartments, which have become a direct competitor to the residential market," he stated.
Infrastructure: SE-40 and Centenary Bridge
Regarding mobility, Muñoz referred to the recent plenary approval to urge the central government to resume the construction of the SE-40 tunnels. The former mayor described the situation of this ring road as "one of the great pending issues of Seville."
"The SE-40 is a story of frustration for Seville. It is incredible that it has not been completed after so many years, with governments from both the Socialist Party and the Popular Party."
He also called for speeding up the completion of the expansion works of the Centenary Bridge, an infrastructure he considers "essential" for the mobility of the metropolitan area.
Tram and tram bus: tight deadlines
The Socialist spokesperson expressed his concern about the delays in the tram bus project and the extension of the tram to the city centre. According to Muñoz, the local government has shown "little affection" towards these actions, inherited from the previous socialist administration.
He recalled that the City Council took eight months to accept modifications to the project, which jeopardises the deadlines required by European funding. "They lost eight months in accepting the extension and now we are very tight on time," he warned.
Security and Local Police
Security in various neighbourhoods of the city, especially in the East District, has been another issue addressed. The PSOE has denounced the proliferation of illegal racing, botellonas, and gatherings of vehicles with loud music.
Muñoz insisted that Seville needs to reinforce its police forces. "Seville needs more Local Police and more National Police," he assured, and questioned whether the mayor can fulfil his promise to incorporate 400 new agents during the term: "The 400 local police officers he promised for this term will not arrive, it is already impossible."
Heat adaptation: awnings and climate shelters
Finally, the Socialist spokesperson criticised the delays in the installation of awnings on the streets of Seville and called for a more ambitious strategy against heat waves. "There are fewer awning-covered streets and this is not just an aesthetic issue. Seville needs more trees, more shade, and more fountains," he pointed out.
However, he acknowledged that this is a structural problem that transcends the current term. "We also need to look back. It is not an exclusive problem of this government," he admitted. Muñoz defended the creation of an effective network of climate shelters and urged action against the effects of high temperatures.
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