State of Conservation (SOC)

Requests Approved: 0
Total Amount Ap proved: 0USD

March 2002: ICOMOS mission; February 2009: joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission 

a) Urban development pressure (Projects at “Huerto de las Adoratrices”, “Plaza de los Bandos” and “Vaguada de la Palma”);

b) Lack of comprehensive Management Plan.

Since 2002, the World Heritage Committee has been expressing concern about the lack of a comprehensive Management Plan and various urban development projects, in particular the “Huerto de las Adoratrices”, the “Plaza de los Bandos” and the “Vaguada de la Palma”. In January 2012, the State Party submitted documentation regarding the state of conservation of the Old City of Salamanca, consisting of a letter from the City Council of Salamanca on the current state of urban development projects mentioned in Decision 34 COM 7B.99, and of a summary of the draft World Heritage property Management Plan. It also submitted a draft retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value for the property.

On 3 March 2012, the World Heritage Centre received a detailed document from a local NGO providing information about the status of the local planning documents and several urban development projects.

a) Management Plan

The English summary of the property Management Plan outlines the rationale of the plan and the relevant documents and tools in place, such as the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) and the Special Plan for the Protection of the Historical Area (PEPCH), which is under preparation. The outline includes an analysis of the property’s criteria for inscription without, however, referring to the draft retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value submitted to the World Heritage Centre on 1 February 2012.

While the State Party report does not provide any information on the legal status of the Management Plan in relation to the municipal urban planning documents, it confirms that the document was jointly prepared by the Regional Government and Local City Council. It further states that the legally binding PGOU was approved in line with the goals of the Management Plan and that the “Special Plan for the Protection of the Historical Area” would have to take into consideration the provisions of the Management Plan. The summary includes chapters on the designation of different functional zones (called “management areas”) of the city and on management tools. It also addresses the recommendations of the 2009 mission regarding the revision of the boundaries of the property and its buffer zone. On 4 May 2012 the State Party also provided the complete draft Management Plan in Spanish, which is being reviewed by the Advisory Bodies.

The information received from the NGO recalls that the only currently valid, legally binding planning document is the PGOU, approved by the City Council in 2007 and that the PEPCH, mandatory under regional legislation and the importance of which was underlined by the 2009 reactive monitoring mission, has not yet been finalized. The NGO points out that there is a deficiency in conservation measures due to several individual modifications to the PGOU made in favor of development projects, and that the city still lacks a Transport and Mobility Plan. It further reports that the elaboration process for the property Management Plan has been lacking transparency and citizen participation.

b) Urban Development Projects

In its letter, the City Council of Salamanca states that none of the three urban development projects has been carried out at the time of reporting:

• The “Huerto de las Adoratrices” project has been suspended by the private investor Fundación Caja Duero. It is further stated that – if resumed – any future project would have to comply with the provisions of the Management Plan and the PEPCH and would require authorization and approval by the Regional Government and the City Council.
• The underground parking project at “Plaza de los Bandos” has been abandoned by the City Council so as to comply with Decision 34 COM 7B.99.
• As to the Tourist Reception Centre project in “Vaguada de la Palma”, the City Council has currently suspended the project, thus complying with Decision 34 COM 7B.99 that requested the State Party to refrain from further development in the Vaguada de la Palma until the integrated Management Plan had been finalized and approved in conjunction with the Statement of Outstanding Universal Value.
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According to the information provided by the NGO, although the above-mentioned projects have been suspended or abandoned, this has been done without withdrawing the development approvals in the modified PGOU. The following additional development projects, currently considered within the boundaries of the property, are considered as being problematic: housing constructions at the Cerro de San Vicente, the extension of the University’s Department of Geography and History, as well as modifications to the Convent of the Franciscanas.

The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies take note of the progress accomplished in the preparation of the Management Plan. They are of the view that it is crucial to ensure that the Special Plan for Protection of the Historical Area (PEPCH) be finalized and approved as soon as possible so as to provide a legally binding tool to reinforce the Management Plan of the property. It is therefore suggested that the draft Management Plan be reviewed by the Advisory Bodies and the PEPCH be submitted for information in order to ensure that both plans and their provisions for any potential urban development proposals in the property and its buffer zone are in accordance with the Statement of Outstanding Universal Value.

Further, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies note that all valid development permits for the suspended development projects should be revised. They also recommend to the World Heritage Committee to express concern that currently, the only valid, legally binding planning documents (PGOU) can be modified in favour of single development projects.