INTRODUCTION

Sepes State Land Institute, as a public body that is part of the Ministry of Housing, has an important social role aimed at achieving social and economic rebalancing throughout Spanish territory.

It does this by developing, acquiring and preparing land for residential, industrial, tertiary and service sites, by drawing up urban plans and designs and implementing the necessary urban development infrastructures.

Furthermore, when the competent administrations entrust us with projects, Sepes deals with areas of social housing, work which has considerably increased since the Institute became part of the Ministry of Housing in 2004.

During its more than 50 years in the field, Sepes has helped whole cities to develop their economic potential, through important urban development projects, significantly contributing to: Palencia, Cartagena, Valladolid, Segovia, Soria, Guadalajara, Cuenca, Alicante and Huelva, being just some of the examples that can demonstrate this.

Sepes has also carried out a series of operations that go beyond its daily activity and that, due to their magnitude, repercussion and impact, may be referred to as great State operations. Such projects include Operación Campamento (Madrid), Bilbao Ría 2000, the Southeast European Logistics Platform (Badajoz) and the León Logistics Platform (coming soon).

Basic operating principles

Although we could receive resources from the National Budget given that we are a public organisation, Sepes has been maintaining an asset management policy which has enabled it to self-finance itself since 1988, forcing it to rigorously study the economic and financial feasibility of its operations, without losing sight of its social duty.

Another basic principle is consensus. Sepes traditionally operates by reaching prior Pacts or Agreements with the Public Administrations, mainly with the Autonomous Communities, Town and City Councils. There are two types of agreements:

• - Framework Agreement with the competent body in each case.
• - Specific agreements for each operation, in which the terms under which the process is to be carried are laid down.

Background

Sepes is the direct successor of two public bodies which earned a great reputation in the urban planning sphere of the State Administration:

• - Urban Development Management
• - National Urban Development Institute (INUR)

The act of July 30th 1959 established Urban Development Management as an instrument of the Ministry of Housing to direct public proceedings in the planning and construction of our cities. The aim was, on the one hand, to design, manage and undertake urban development operations that prepare residential land for state housing plans, and on the other, to develop land for economic activity.

These criteria also directed their actions when in 1972, the Management changed its name to the National Urban Development Institute (INUR), carrying out important residential and industrial developments until 1981.

In 1981, the INUR was dissolved and the State-owned Enterprise for the Development and Equipping of Land (SEPES in Spanish) was founded. A large part of the staff, of INUR and all of its industrial development operations became integrated into the new enterprise, which have transferred their residential operations to the Autonomous Communities.

The Royal Decree 1525/99 of October 1st passed the new By-law of SEPES, Public Land Corporation. This saw the end of the process of adaptation to the role of Public Corporation according to the Law on the Organisation and Operation of the General State Administration (LOFAGE in Spanish).