Deals at Polaris World

I have had a similar reply by email today from Pablo as follows :

Can any of you remember the Uk 40 years ago when we used to get word of mouth from a councillor the planning permission was on its way and you could rest assured that it would arrive within the next few weeks, so you'd start to build your extension anyway.  Nowadays we ask for it to be written in triplicate and in the hands of our solicitors as well as ourselves before we dare mix an ounce of concrete.

One of the reasons I'm looking forward to moving to Spain !

Hi All,

Just got that e-mail back, very similar to what Pablo has to say,

"You would have seen in the photos on the website that as yet we have not started the above-ground construction (i.e the building of the properties themselves). This is due to the fact that we are currently awaiting the final stamp on the license for the above ground construction in phases one and two. However we have been assured by the Town Council that this will be given shortly and it is only a matter of time.

In the meantime we are obviously busy with the infrastructure of the resort ( roads, underground electrics and drainage system etc.)" 

Hi, I don't know how you got Pablo's email address but please could you let me have it?

I'm on Phase 2 and bought in September 2005.

John

I don't have Pablo's email as such, I use Rosa's email - rbarreiro@corveragolf.com  although I've heard she left, but Pablo replies, or at least he has the last couple of times I sent emails to that address. I assume all Rosa's emails are being diverted to him.

kev

Hi John,

I send all my enquires to Abigail Hill, I find her to be very efficient, she used to be at Roda and this is the address that I use ahill@rodagolf.com herself and Pablo are very quick to respond to any queries you might have.

Gina

Thanks Kev and Ginab!

It's useful to have contacts.

John

 I just found out that  Pablo's email is  pbuitrago@corveragolf.com

kev

Just returned from a visit over the weekend and can confirm that actual building has not yet started due to awaiting final stamp. This is obviously immenant though, as there are many cranes in position - especially in the Phase 1 area and much work has taken place on the infra-structure. The talk is still 18 months for completion of Phase 1 & 2 and they are about to release the final Phases for sale with 1250 dwellings sold to date. Apparantly there is a real mix of buyer including Brits, Spanish and Canadians.

For one - as a purchaser who is looking to use the property for own use and some rental, I am not too concerned with the delays as the Murcia region could really benefit from time to develop towards the tourism industry. I also visited a couple of the developments and am now more confident than ever that Corvera is the right choice. The other resorts are nicely completed but lack the natural surroundings.

Just returned from a visit over the weekend and can confirm that actual building has not yet started due to awaiting final stamp. This is obviously immenant though, as there are many cranes in position - especially in the Phase 1 area and much work has taken place on the infra-structure. The talk is still 18 months for completion of Phase 1 & 2 and they are about to release the final Phases for sale with 1250 dwellings sold to date. Apparantly there is a real mix of buyer including Brits, Spanish and Canadians.

For one - as a purchaser who is looking to use the property for own use and some rental, I am not too concerned with the delays as the Murcia region could really benefit from time to develop towards the tourism industry. I also visited a couple of the developments and am now more confident than ever that Corvera is the right choice. The other resorts are nicely completed but lack the natural surroundings.

I think past experience should tell us that we should not believe that the building licence is imminent just because staff from Calidona say it is (even if it is well meant). I was told in early Oct via MRI that the building licence would definitely be given within 10 days ( there was absolutely no doubt about it, she was told by someone from Calidona). A fellow message board writer Torri on October 12th said that they had just got back from Corvera and stated 'Spoke to a sales representative who tells they have been promised to have the final building licence within two weeks' and there are many other examples, A Diffi said on Aug 27th that they had 'been given what appeared to be an "absolute assurance" that building work would start in September' during a visit to Corvera in May . More recently construction of phase 1 &2 would start in November, previously I had a letter, I believe in January, that the building licence would be granted no later than April 07 and it goes on and on. I believe a lot of the problem is due to the poor communications from Calidona, unless they feel two official  letters from Calidona in the past 18 months or so is adequate under the circumstances.

What I don't understand is that, if there is a genuine hold up at the town council, why the council can't give them a date at which the council members convene to pass it, are they keep telling Calidona we will pass it next week, then next week comes and they say next week and so on? Or is it something to the effect that well pass it when were good and ready with no indication of a date, is anyone aware of the exact procedure? And again I'll ask is anyone aware of similar delays to other new developments in the area, clearly I would have expected all other new developments to be held up in a similar way, maybe they are, but if not why not?

If there is someone going out to Corvera is there some way they can contact the council to find out if the delay is genuine ( it may well be, but I'm yet to be completely convinced). I would have thought that it would have been helpful if Calidona showed us some of the Town Council Correspondence (with their permission) on the delay. They should be doing what they can to convince everyone that they are doing what they can to get on with this development, I don't think I'm  the only one with doubts. Hopefully the licence will be granted shortly but if not,  how long should we wait for this 'imminent licence' another couple of months, another year or more, before we try to do something?  I would suggest something like the end of January would not be unreasonable if the licence is not granted to do something, assuming there is something we can do.

Kev

Yes. I suppose I feel trapped. the contract says they will finish building within 18 months of getting the building permission. So far Calidona has had my first 15% since October 2005. I suppose, according to the contract that they could go on forever not getting building permission and hanging on to our money and getting interest on it.

MRI doesn't seem to have been acting for their clients as much as themselves.

John

Hi Kev,

I have to agree with you, and while I'm still convinced that I have made a good choice in purchasing at Corvera, the license is taking a very long time, for something that is supposed to be cut and dried.

I am heading over at the end of Jan, and if there is no sign of movement I will have no problem in asking questions in order to get some precise dates etc. If however we're still being fobbed off we can look into our options then?

I am hoping to see some building work by that time(fingers crossed),

Gina

Perhaps they a waiting for RODA to be nearly finished before moving contractors to CORVERA an that its nothing to do with the Local Licences.

Big UK building contracts no different belive me.

From looking at the golfing website Club Murcia -www.clubmurcia.com/modules.phpname=Content&pa=showpage&pid=45 there are 36 incomplete golfing developments in the Murcia region (14 completed), as far as golf is concerned it should become a region that can compete with any other . I looked at some of their message boards and there does appear to be delays in granting licences in the region (and some serious concerns about some of the developers and their agents). Some people are pulling out of their purchases as their contract has stated the date by which the planning licence has to be granted, and in some cases this has been exceeded, a luxury we do not have, I certainly feel Calidona knew what they were doing when they didn't put in a date for the planning licence.

Although there certainly appears to be delays due to planning licence delays, I feel this may not the complete story and what aawright has said below may well be true, Calidona may be taking advantage of the delay to suit their own timing between the two developments Roda & Corvera, for financial and other resource reasons. In a sense I hope this is the case, as I would prefer the timing to be in Calidona's hands than the local Town Council where they could holdout for a long time ( could the Town Hall hold out indefinitely? and if this was the case where would this leave us? also does anyone know if  the new council have a more 'green credential' as expected ? and are they more anti development as a result?).

I also read on a message board that for the last two years  Murcia has been drier than the Sahara ( I'm not sure if this is true), but it brings up the possible ;water shortage problem in the area and this of course would be a concern to the Town Council, and a possible reason to delay or stop the licence, a 500 acre golf course would take quite a bit of watering plus the apartment requirements. I did read in an article in the Herald Tribune May 31st 06 www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/25/news/remurcia.php?page=1 that Corvera has its own desalination plant, this would certainly  help offset any water concerns for this development if its true, can anyone confirm this?

I suspect that we will need to be a little more patient but  feel the final product will be worth it.

kev

Hi Kev,

I think it is true about the water supply because if you check out the sat photos on google earth you can see  one or maybe two reservoirs on the image. Its at roughly 37' 50' 38.97 N and 1' 09' 06.00 W, I could be way off in thinking they are water supplies, let me know what you think?

Gina

Hi all

Has anyone heard anything about the elusive 'final' building licence for phase 1 & 2? it appears to be always just around the corner.

Also I have 2 two bedroom duplex penthouse apartments, and would like to sell one, can anyone reccommend someone to sell them. Or if anyones interested PM me.

kev