Marbella’s town council has officially endorsed the final version of its updated PGOM, the Plan General de Ordenación Municipal (municipal urban development masterplan). This comprehensive revision now heads to the Andalusian regional government for environmental review before returning for formal ratification. Marbella is among the first municipalities in Andalusia to align its urban planning regulations with Spain’s updated “Lista” law. The PGOM works in tandem with the detailed POU, which sets out precise zoning rules and is currently still under review.
The updated plan introduces major changes to how land is classified and used in Marbella. Approximately 64 million square metres of rustic land are included, with 30 million square metres potentially open to urban transformation. At least 40% of this would be allocated to housing, with an emphasis on protected and affordable units. The total land covered under the plan is 117 million square metres, of which 53 million square metres are classified as urban. This is an increase of 12.5 million square metres compared to the previous 1986 PGOU, which covered 40.5 million square metres.
The new masterplan creates fresh opportunities to build homes, particularly in the affordable and social housing sectors, addressing growing demand. It also offers strategic rural development potential, making it easier for owners of rustic land to develop their plots, subject to future zoning guidelines in the POU. The PGOM now awaits environmental approval at the regional level, and once greenlit, a final vote by the town council will confirm its adoption.
Marbella’s new masterplan is a forward-thinking blueprint that rebalances urban and rural land use, supports affordable housing, and gears the municipality towards sustainable growth under the updated Lista law. Once fully approved, it promises significant urban development while maintaining control through refined planning instruments.