News and Notices

Foreign Registered Vehicles

There are a large number of foreign vehicles, both from the EU and other countries, with owners resident in Spain, which have not been legalized according to Spanish law. These have been subject of numerous complaints from foreign residents who have complied with the regulations by registering their vehicles properly or by buying Spanish vehicles.
The owners of these unregistered vehicles do not pay their vehicle taxes, neither are they traceable in case of accident or if the vehicle is involved in a crime or offence. Furthermore, the police have no way of monitoring whether the vehicle is insured or roadworthy.
Therefore, from July 1, for one month initially, a campaign will be mounted by the Benitachell Local Police, to detect and advise resident drivers of such vehicles of the procedures necessary to change to the required license plates and Spanish documentation and to report them for offences where relevant.

 If you are resident in Spain for more than six months a year, after thirty days you have an obligation to change the number plates of your vehicle to SPANISH plates, under the Excise Act 38/1992.

The procedures to follow for changing plates are at the Regional Traffic Office are:
 
1. The vehicle must pass the Vehicle Technical Inspection. (ITV)
2. You must pay the excise duty on certain means of transport (model 576) in the tax office.
3. You must pay the Municipal circulation tax.
4. You request in the appropriate form for registration of the vehicle from the Provincial Traffic Office.

Keep in mind that you must provide original documentation, as the vehicle's owner. Any gestoría will advise you of the correct procedure. For more information, visit www.mir.es. 
(At time of writing the full address of the leaflet is “http://www.dgt.es/was6/portal/contenidos/documentos/oficina_virtual/vehiculos/matriculacion/matrordi.pdf” - in Castellano)

The campaign will also ensure that non resident drivers and owners of foreign registered vehicles have their documentation in order, that is to say all the documentation required in their country of origin (registration documents, tax discs, insurance and technical inspection certificates (e.g. British MOT)).

Maintenance of Plot Borders

The new Byelaw requiring owners of gardens and other plots to keep plants and trees from overgrowing pavements, paths, roadways or other public space is in force and owners are reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure that vegetation does not encroach on such public areas.

It is unfair to expect the Council, and thus all the residents of the village, to pay the cost of doing this work therefore, where owners fail to maintain the borders of their property in a proper manner, they will be charged for any work carried out by the Council to remedy the situation and fined under the Byelaw.

Please ensure that your trees and plants are properly pruned and not obstructing any public space or neighbour.

BONFIRE REGULATIONS - 2010

Agricultural Burning

1. Prohibited during the months of June, July, August and September. In the remaining months, controlled burning may be conducted from Monday to Saturday except public holidays from sunrise until 14 hours.

2. The burning of citrus prunings may take place in areas designated for the purpose (burners), being allowed from 1 June to 30 September every Tuesday. If this is a holiday, the authorization will move to Wednesday.

Garden waste

Burning is prohibited during the period from 1 June to 30 September. At all other times only permitted after application for a licence from the Local Police.

It is also prohibited to dump waste is any place not designated for this purpose, the only place designated is the ECOPARQUE.