Elche's local government board (Junta de Gobierno Local) on Thursday 29 October approved the start of a change to the town plan (Plan General) to protect commercial axes (ejes comerciales) in the historic centre and in the city's districts. At the same time it immediately suspended new licences for change of use (cambio de uso) on the streets inside that area. The measure was announced by Francisco Soler, deputy mayor and councillor for municipal strategy (concejal de Estrategia Municipal), and reported by Alicante Plaza.
This is not a blanket ban on turning commercial premises into homes. The suspension applies only to streets, squares and avenues identified as existing or potential commercial axes. In the rest of the city, applications can still be submitted and considered if planning and legal requirements are met. The aim is to stop a rise in the number of ground-floor flats from wiping out space for local businesses and shops.
The protected area covers the historic centre, the ensanche (the 19th- and 20th-century grid extension) and several districts. Streets named include la Corredora, Reina Victoria, avenida de Alicante, Juan Carlos I, avenida de la Libertad, avenida de Novelda, avenida de la Universidad and calle Blas Valero, along with many others. On some streets the protection covers the whole length, on others only a stretch: on avenida de la Universidad it applies only between numbers 2 and 66. Streets were chosen to protect areas where shops and businesses are already established, and to reserve premises in areas with few businesses now where they are considered necessary in future.
On the same Thursday the board approved seven change-of-use files (expedientes de cambio de uso), which are said to create 22 flats in former commercial premises. The largest is a former vehicle workshop on avenida de la Universidad, to become seven flats, in an area the town hall intends to protect. On calle León Sánchez, in the Carrús district, one unit will become six flats. Soler acknowledged that this case illustrates the problem the new rules are meant to address: these are large premises that could house shops needing a lot of floor space.
The other licences approved on 29 October are two flats in a unit between calle Mare de Déu de l'Assumpció and calle Joaquín Santo, one each on calle Pablo Picasso, calle Enrique Pire García and calle Blas Orts Sánchez, and two on calle Juan Sansano Ibarra. These addresses add up to 20 flats, not the 22 stated, and the source does not explain the difference.
According to Soler, 521 files were processed between January 2023 and September 2026, producing 657 flats in former commercial premises. In January-September 2026 alone there were 183 files and 241 flats, 68 more than in the whole of 2025 (173). Soler said the local government regards this activity as lawful and necessary to widen housing supply, and continues to back housing programmes. Without specific planning, though, it could threaten the city's commercial model.
The report does not say how long the suspension will last, when the plan change is expected to be approved, or what happens to applications already submitted.