Manilva Town Council plans to close down GEUMA, Manilva's town planning management department, created 18 months ago by former Mayor Salvador Zotano.

The department had been set up in the aftermath of the arrest of former Pedro Tirado for alleged money laundering and planning irregularities, so as to provide "transparency" and a technical layer to the planning system which would ensure that all planning processes conformed to legal and technical regulations before going forward to the Town Council for approval.

The present Councillor for Planning, Emilio López, has claimed that a town of the size of Manilva cannot afford the expense, over 50,000 euros per year, of a separate planning department when such matters can be handled just as well by the Town Hall.

The closing of GEUMA will be decided at a full meeting of the Town Council on the 8th November.