Marbella has taken an important step towards establishing a new, modern urban planning framework following the final approval of its Plan General de Ordenación Municipal (PGOM).
On Friday 18 September 2026, the Plenary of Marbella Town Council granted final approval to the new PGOM, marking a significant milestone for the municipality and its future development.
Marbella also becomes the first municipality in Andalusia to approve a PGOM adapted to Law 7/2021 (LISTA), the legislation that introduced a new framework for territorial and urban planning across Andalusia.
For Marbella’s property market, developers, homeowners and prospective buyers, the decision represents an important development following many years of uncertainty surrounding the municipality’s planning framework.
What is Marbella’s new PGOM?
Under LISTA, Marbella’s new urban planning framework is being developed through two principal instruments:
The Plan General de Ordenación Municipal (PGOM) establishes the municipality’s general territorial and urban planning strategy.
The Plan de Ordenación Urbana (POU) will provide the more detailed urban planning regulations governing the existing city.
The PGOM therefore establishes the broader framework for how Marbella should evolve and grow in the years ahead, while the POU will subsequently address planning at a more detailed level.
Why is the approval significant for Marbella?
Marbella’s urban planning history has been unusually complex.
The annulment of the 2010 PGOU resulted in the reinstatement of the considerably older 1986 PGOU, creating a challenging planning environment for one of Spain’s most internationally important residential property markets.
The newly approved PGOM represents a major step towards replacing that legacy framework with a planning model designed around Marbella as it exists today and how the municipality intends to develop in the future.
Among the areas highlighted by Marbella Town Council are the incorporation of land into the new urban model, provisions for protected housing and measures intended to provide greater legal certainty for properties affected by the various changes to Marbella’s planning framework over previous decades.
For a municipality experiencing substantial international demand for new homes and continued investment in luxury residential development, establishing a clearer long-term planning framework is particularly important.
What could the PGOM mean for Marbella property?
For buyers and investors, the most encouraging aspect is the prospect of greater long-term planning certainty.
Marbella remains one of Southern Europe’s most established luxury residential destinations, but its complicated planning history has periodically created additional considerations for property owners, developers and investors.
A modernised planning framework should provide a clearer strategic basis for the municipality’s future development.
It may also provide greater clarity around future residential growth, infrastructure, housing requirements and the treatment of land within Marbella’s wider urban model.
For the new-build and off-plan property market, greater planning certainty is particularly relevant. Development opportunities in Marbella are increasingly scarce, especially in the most established locations, making the treatment and availability of suitable land an important component of future housing supply.
An important distinction: the PGOM is not yet in force
Although final approval represents a major milestone, buyers and property owners should note an important distinction.
The PGOM does not become effective immediately following its approval.
According to information provided by PÉREZ DE VARGAS ABOGADOS, the PGOM’s Urban Planning Regulations establish that it will enter into force on the day following publication of the final approval resolution and the corresponding urban planning regulations in the appropriate Official Gazette.
At the time of writing, this publication remains pending.
The final approval should therefore be viewed as a significant step forward rather than the immediate replacement of the existing planning regime.
What happens next? Marbella’s POU
There is another important stage still to come.
The approval of the PGOM does not complete Marbella’s new urban planning framework.
The Plan de Ordenación Urbana (POU) remains under preparation and will establish the detailed urban planning provisions for the existing city.
Progress has already been made. In February 2026, the Scope Document for the Strategic Environmental Study was issued as part of the POU procedure.
The POU must continue through its required processing and ultimately receive final approval before Marbella’s new planning framework is fully established.
A positive step for Marbella’s long-term future
While further stages remain, the final approval of the PGOM is nevertheless an important moment for Marbella.
A modern and clearer planning framework is particularly significant for a municipality that continues to attract substantial international investment and demand for high-quality residential property.
Marbella has evolved enormously since the planning framework of 1986 was introduced. Today’s municipality is an internationally recognised residential and lifestyle destination with a sophisticated market encompassing luxury villas, branded residences, contemporary apartments, resort developments and major new residential projects.
Creating a planning framework capable of supporting that evolution while providing greater certainty for existing owners and future development represents an important step in Marbella’s continued growth.
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Source & Important Note
This article has been prepared using information provided by PÉREZ DE VARGAS ABOGADOS concerning the approval and implementation process of Marbella’s PGOM.
The information is provided for general informational purposes and should not be considered legal or urban-planning advice. Buyers and property owners should obtain independent professional advice regarding the planning status of any specific property or development.
