Orihuela City Council will begin fining owners who fail to keep empty plots clean and in a safe condition.
Mayor Pepe Vegara announced the move alongside Councillor for Citizen Security Mónica Pastor and Councillor for Town Planning Matías Ruiz.
The council previously gave landowners until August 15 to clear vegetation, rubbish and other waste from their properties. With that deadline now passed, officials are preparing to begin inspections and issue penalties.
Vegara said owners had been given sufficient time to comply with their responsibilities and that the council must now enforce the regulations.
A special inspection operation is expected to begin within approximately one week. Any plots that remain neglected or present health and safety concerns could result in formal proceedings against their owners.
Failure to maintain land properly is classed as a serious offence, with fines ranging from €750 to €1,500.
Orihuela Local Police will help identify neglected plots during their regular patrols across the municipality. Officers will report land in poor condition, after which the council will attempt to identify the owner and begin enforcement action where necessary.
Vegara stressed that inspections would take place throughout the entire municipality, rather than focusing on selected neighbourhoods.
“This applies to plots anywhere in the municipality, from Barbarroja to Orihuela Costa, including every outlying district, the city centre and the historic quarter,” he said.
Property owners, or those responsible for using the land, are legally required to keep plots safe, clean and presentable. This includes preventing the accumulation of weeds, rubbish, building debris or other materials that could create health or fire risks, particularly during the summer.
The mayor also acknowledged that the council must apply the same standards to its own land.
Municipal maintenance teams are already clearing council-owned plots. Meanwhile, the Contracting and Town Planning departments are preparing a tender to appoint an outside company to increase the amount of work being carried out.
Vegara said the council was already using its own workers but wanted additional support to ensure municipal land met the same standards being demanded from private owners.
The enforcement campaign follows the mayoral order that established August 15, 2026, as the deadline for clearing neglected land. The council will now move into the inspection and enforcement phase, with fines issued where owners have failed to comply.
