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GUIDE TO BUILDING IN MALLORCA

PROTECTION ZONES – SECTORAL REPORTS

Zonas de Protección – Informes Sectoriales

Why It Is Essential to Check Whether a Plot in Mallorca Is Affected

Before starting any building project in Mallorca, one of the first aspects to clarify is whether the site lies within a zona de protección (protection zone). These are areas subject to special restrictions due to environmental values, risks, or infrastructure requirements.

Being located in a protection zone does not necessarily mean that construction is impossible. However, in such cases, the town hall will usually require additional technical assessments known as informes sectoriales (sectoral reports). These reports are issued by the competent authorities – such as the Coastal Authority, the Road Department, the Environmental Department or the Aviation Safety Agency – and establish how the applicable planning rules must be interpreted. They may impose design limitations, additional safety or environmental measures, or in some situations restrict the development potential of the plot.

Protection zones in Mallorca are diverse. They include nature reserves (Espais Naturals Protegits), coastal protection strips under the Ley de Costas (Spanish Coastal Law), flood-prone areas, wildfire risk areas, heritage protection zones, and the safety perimeters around airports or major roads. Most of these zones are set out in the PTM – Pla Territorial Insular de Mallorca, approved by the Consell de Mallorca, and can be consulted through the PTM viewer or the IDEIB – Infraestructura de Dades Espacials de les Illes Balears geoportal.

For this reason, identifying whether a plot is affected by a protection zone is a key step in the feasibility assessment of any project. Without the corresponding informe sectorial, no Licencia de Obra Mayor (Major Building Permit) can be granted, even if the land is classified as suelo urbano (urban land).

  1. Main Types of Protection Zones
  • Coastal protection strips – regulated under the Ley de Costas.
  • Nature conservation areas (Espais Naturals Protegits).
  • Flood-prone zones.
  • Airport influence zones.
  • Heritage protection areas.
  • Road and infrastructure easements.

Building projects in these zones require a sectoral report confirming whether development is possible and under what conditions.

  1. How to Know Whether a Plot Is Affected

Many of these areas are only shown in specialised technical maps or planning documents.
For an initial orientation, two tools are particularly useful:

Both are publicly accessible.

Recommendation: Before buying or starting a project, commission an architect with local experience to review the site and analyse the relevant maps.

  1. Competent Authorities and Their Scope
  • Water resources – zona de protección de recursos hidrológicos
    Authority: Confederación Hidrográfica de las Illes Balears
    Scope: rivers, flood zones, wetlands.
  • Roads – zona de protección de carreteras
    Authority: Departament de Mobilitat i Infraestructures del Consell de Mallorca
    Scope: minimum distances, access roads, setbacks.
  • Aeronautics – zona de protección aérea
    Authority: Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea (AESA)
    Scope: height restrictions, e.g. in Andratx or Llucmajor.
  • Environment and wildfire prevention – zona de protección medioambiental
    Authority: Consell de Mallorca – Departament de Medi Ambient
    Scope: replanting obligations, construction materials, active and passive fire protection measures.
  • Heritage – zona de protección patrimonial
    Authority: Consell de Mallorca – Departament de Patrimoni
    Scope: conservation of listed buildings, restrictions on materials, colours, façade treatment.
  • Coastline – zona de protección de costas
    Authority: Dirección General de Ordenación del Territorio (CAIB)
    Scope: restrictions on construction near the dominio público marítimo-terrestre (public maritime-terrestrial domain).
  1. Procedure for Requesting an Informe Sectorial
  1. The architect checks whether the plot lies within a protection zone.
  2. The town hall may require the owner to obtain additional reports.
  3. The application is submitted to the competent authority.
  4. The authority reviews the project drawings and issues the report, which may include specific conditions.

This process can prolong the planning phase, particularly in cases involving the coastline or major roads.

  1. Why Early Checks Are Essential
  • Without a favourable informe sectorial, no building licence can be granted.
  • Restrictions on development potential or design may be imposed.
  • Additional administrative time must be anticipated.

Carrying out these checks at an early stage ensures greater planning security and helps avoid unnecessary costs and delays.

Conclusion

Protection zones and informes sectoriales are a decisive factor in the licensing process in Mallorca.
Identifying and managing them at an early stage allows projects to be planned and executed more quickly, more safely, and with greater predictability.

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