Number of home approvals in Malaga region up by over 250 per cent in a year

According to new figures, the Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos - the official body that certifies building plans in Malaga - approved projects with a total value of 419 million euros between just January and March of this year.

While inland areas are showing slower growth, the number of planned new homes in the Malaga province overall has increased by over 250 per cent over the last year. A total of 1,397 new flats or houses were approved in Malaga between January and March, marking an increase of 121 per cent on the same period in 2016.

Coastal resort areas saw the biggest rise in architect plans submitted for approval. Areas such as Fuengirola, Estepona and Marbella have 589 new homes confirmed in just the first quarter of the year. The trend also appears to have started spreading east of the Costa, with 252 approved architect plans in the first quarter of this year, up from just 69 between January and March last year.

While the figures show a strong start to the year, the head of the Colegio de Arquitectos, Francisco Sarabia, has also urged the Junta de Andalucia to review plans to reform regional planning laws in the region to further speed up the building of new homes.