For the third consecutive time, the Leioa City Council has put up for tender the sale of a municipal plot located on Larrakoetxe street. The two previous calls, one in October and another in December, received no bids. This new procedure introduces a substantial reduction in the starting price compared to the initial valuation, with the plot now on the market for two million euros, down from the 2.76 million euros set eight months ago.
It is especially serious that the transfer can be made below the previously estimated value.
This reduced offer has drawn criticism from the opposition, led by EH Bildu. The sovereignist coalition has accused the governing team —PNV and PSE— of a “bad sale” of public assets, particularly in a context marked by the growing need for affordable rental housing.
The new valuation, conducted last month, reduces the value by approximately 27%. Municipal sources argue that this change is due to “the availability of more precise market references, following the construction of adjacent buildings and the collection of data on real construction costs.” However, this modification intensifies the controversy, as for EH Bildu, it represents a direct detriment to public coffers.
According to the technical specifications, the objective of the sale is to promote orderly urban development, as well as to generate income to finance investments planned in the municipal budget. Among the intended uses for these revenues are “the acquisition of land for municipal reserves, rehabilitation works, public facilities, promotion of economic activities of general interest, improvement of municipal equipment, and conservation of historical and cultural heritage,” according to the same sources.
