Marbella opening licences up by 17.5%

Orange Square, Marbella

According to a recent report in Málaga’s provincial daily Diario Sur, in 2011 the Marbella town hall has processed 976 opening licences, a significant increase of 17.5% compared with 2010 when 806 applications were registered. So it’s very welcome news that despite the global economic crisis, entrepreneurs are betting on Marbella as their Costa del Sol town of choice when it comes to launching a new business.

“These figures reflect Marbella’s dynamism and the strength of its economy, even during such a difficult time,” said local mayor Ángeles Muñoz, who also pointed out the changes in legislation recently introduced by the town hall in order to streamline and simplify what had previously been a slow, complicated and cumbersome process.

In the case of a new bar, for example, reports first had to be produced by the Fire Brigade, as well as the Town Planning, Health and Industry departments meaning that the procedure could take more than a year to complete. But with the Industry delegation now solely responsible for the process, that length of time has been reduced to around three months, while some new businesses – such as fashion retailers and lawyers’ offices – are now often able to open on the very same day that the relevant documentation is presented.

This year’s 17.5% increase is in stark contrast to the previous three consecutive years when decreases in opening licences were recorded. In 2008 the figure for opening licences stood at 1,554, dropping by 18% in 2009 with 1,250 applications, and down again in 2010 with just 806 applications.