By Richard Torné
The lawyer for the AUAN property rights association has taken a swipe at critics who were against giving the Spanish senate an award for changing planning law.
The reform means that people who bought illegal homes in good faith will be compensated before their properties are demolished. As a result, the AUAN announced that the senate would be the first recipient of the prize, which was aimed at recognising people or organisations that had made a significant contribution to defending citizens’ rights in planning.
However, the decision has proved controversial, with critics saying the prize should have been given to grass roots activists or the victims of planning abuses rather than a public body.
