Mayor Yonathan de León has guaranteed that one of the affected works is underway with municipal financing, while others are pending imminent tender. The Public Sector Contracts Law does not allow for the suspension of public subsidy justification deadlines in cases of repeated non-compliance by construction companies or technical project designers, even with the Consultative Council's endorsement.
The Arrecife council has provided official information confirming the termination of the contract for drafting projects to renovate La Inés street, León y Castillo street, and Ramón Franco and Figueroa streets (File 31.502/2021) via decree "4931 of June 11, 2025". This resolution was based on Article 211.1. f) of the LCSP, for a cause attributable to the contractor, a file that originated in the previous administration.
Given this situation, the only option is to refund the subsidies to avoid penalties and cover potential late payment interest costs. The returned funds were intended for the renovation of the aforementioned streets and for the supply and installation of public lighting in the La Concha urbanization. The initial grant established an execution period between December 1, 2024, and November 30, 2025, with a justification deadline of February 28, 2026.
The Cabildo declared the lack of justification for the subsidy of 2,694,325 euros granted to the Arrecife City Council for the Lanzarote Accessibility Improvement Plan, as the required documentation was not submitted within the established deadlines. The subsidy was granted on November 7, 2024.
Following the contract termination, Mayor Yonathan de León pushed for the completion of the projects with a new drafting team. This will allow the Department of Works to tender several of these projects this autumn and winter using the municipal budgets of the Arrecife City Council, which has a significant investment plan this fiscal year.
The electrification works for La Concha are already underway, awarded and in execution, and will be covered by municipal resources. The Arrecife City Council highlights that public administrations in the Canary Islands are currently experiencing severe delays in public works due to logistical difficulties for construction and supply companies in receiving goods on time, challenges in finding labor on peripheral islands, and the impact of high inflation and increased material costs on tender renunciations or delays.
