A new regulation has been written requiring all new residential developments in Benalmadena to feature underground parking.

The change in the Master Town Plan is aimed at reducing parking congestion in the centre of the Costa del Sol city.

For the amendment to be passed as law, it needs the approval of the Junta de Andalucia, though this is not expected to be a problem, SUR reports.

New projects in Benalmadena Pueblo and Arroyo de la Miel will be affected. If the developer is unable to provide an underground space, they will be required to provide alternative facilities within 300 metres of the property.

Commenting on the proposal, Elena Benitez, deputy mayor of Arroyo de la Miel, told the news provider: "We hope that the town’s parking problems will be solved as a result."

In other news in Benalmadena, the refurbishment of three city streets - Andalusia, San Telmo and Leala - has entered the final phase of completion.

The cultural and ethic makeup of schools in Marbella is increasingly diverse due to the large number of children from foreign families who have settled in the area, a report has stated.

According to southern Spanish newspaper Sur, several new initiatives have been developed to help teachers cope with the variety of nationalities now present in the region’s schools, including the Temporary Classes for Linguistic Adaptation scheme, which is run by teachers who specialise in giving Spanish lessons to foreign pupils.

Figures from the Junta de Andalucia show that 22.8 per cent of children attending school in Marbella are of non-Spanish nationality, compared to a provincial average of nine per cent.

Manual Mellado, director of the Centro del Profesorado in Marbella, said that the mixture of pupils creates a "very enriching" school environment for both children and teachers, although he admitted that it can also present a "real challenge".

Joaquin Perea, head of the Inter-culturality department of the provincial education authorities, revealed that foreign pupils are encouraged to understand their own culture as well as learn Spanish.

"There are workshops to support and maintain their grasp of their native languages so they don’t become illiterate in their own language, because otherwise they stop reading and writing in it," he explained.

Plans for a new high-speed motorway link between the Costa del Sol and Ronda were recently released by the Junta de Andalucia.

A major new flood defence system is being developed to help the Costa Blanca cope with any extreme weather in the future.

Following the serious flooding which hit the region in October, the Jucar Water Confederation (CHJ) has announced that a study into the best method of protecting Costa Blanca property from flood damage has begun.

The plan will focus on the Marinas Alta and Baja and will involve the careful coordination of local, regional and state authorities, Costa Blanca News reports.

Juan José Moragues, president of the CHJ, said that the plan would be similar to that which was used in response to the La Safor disaster in Valencia in the late 1980s.

Many towns in the north Costa Blanca were recently affected by flooding, in a region usually known for an ideal climate that brings tourists to its shores all year round.

The weather in the region has since returned to type - ThinkSpain.com recently reported that the Alicante area is enjoying a winter heat-wave, with temperatures peaking at 20 degrees C.

According to a report from Typically Spanish, the Costa Blanca has recently become the most popular domestic holiday destination for Spanish people.

While many British homeowners in Spain make the move in order to enjoy sun-baked summers on the southern Costas, top-draw winter skiing is also an Iberian possibility, with this year promising to be a stellar one for snow-seekers.

With weather conditions primed for enjoying the slopes to their full potential, top skiing locations like the Sierra Nevada have already opened their charms to hoards of skiers.

Andalusian mountain range the Sierra Nevada is a favourite with Brits taking advantage of the frequent budget flights into Costa del Sol hub Malaga – the slopes are in close proximity to the beach resorts that make it a summer hit as well.

Heavy snowfall last week made the December 1st opening date possible for the Sierra Nevada and ski resorts further north in the Pyrenees, but it is not yet clear how many of the Sierra’s 87 kilometres can yet be enjoyed.

A surprisingly warm winter in 2006 kept skiing to a minimum, but this year’s conditions look set to favour a long and thriving season of winter sports.

Property in the Costa del Sol is already a strong favourite among Brits who want the sun they cant find at home, but demand could increase even further should the Sierra Nevada provide the winter of top skiing it looks set to.

The Costa Blanca could soon be awash with northern Europeans popping over for a blast of winter sun, as the Alicante area was reported to have landed a winter heat-wave.

While British weather has kept to type, Spanish information site ThinkSpain.com claimed that the south eastern tip of the Iberian peninsula – typically one of the hottest – hit a high of 20 degrees C at the weekend.

Flying over to Alicante to enjoy the unexpected sunshine on local beaches is easier than ever for Brits, with low cost airlines providing direct flights from many UK cities – and plenty of ex-pats only using the flights in order to travel home occasionally.

The heat-wave is forecast to continue into next week, claimed ThinkSpain.com, meaning that those lucky enough to live in the Costa Blanca area or to be planning a Christmas break there could be making an unexpected trip to the beach.

The site claimed that beaches in Benidorm and elsewhere have been filled with hopeful sunbathers – many likely to have been British – and even some who decided on a risky winter dip in the sea.

Hotel occupancy rates on the Costa Blanca remain high well outside of peak summer holiday periods, while foreign property purchase in the region is growing ever more popular.

Costa del Sol property seekers with an eye for culture could be given a new incentive to invest in the Malaga area, with local authorities giving the green light for a large scale museum development in the area.

Local urban planning authorities (Gerencia Municipal de Urbanismo) have approved plans for an old tobacco factory to be converted into museum space – with grand plans set to be carried out by 2009.

Plans now envisage completion of an automobile museum, and an Art Natura museum on the site by mid 2009, which would add to the region’s cultural appeal and provide even more reasons for people to visit Malaga.

Antique cars would feature in the first museum for completion, it was claimed, while the Art Natura project, likely to contain sculptures, precious stones and much to discover about the world of rocks and minerals, would take longer to complete.

The Malaga province is already a favourite for its stunning beaches, winter skiing not far off in the Sierra Nevada, and top range property – with local authorities now hoping that the tobacco factory renovation will add cultural appeal to Malaga’s perks.

Tourism experts in Spain are claiming that that 2007 has been an unprecedented year for visits to Spain.

Spanish tourism officials have identified a likely total of 60 million visitors by the end of the year, making 2007 a bumper year in the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and other leading holiday locations.

A two per cent increase on year-on-year arrivals has been registered for first ten months of the year, with 52 million visitors having already passed through by the end of October, and the number likely to hit 60 million by the year’s end.

But despite the success of 2007, Iberian tourism targets are even higher for the future, with a new plan entitled Turismo Horizonte 2020 envisaging new strategies to keep Spain as a top holiday location.

The new strategy envisages marketing new lesser-known areas to foreign visitors – with areas like the Costa Azahar likely to gain more exposure – while the tourism season will also be extended to keep visitors coming through the year.

A key market from which Spain could see future growth is American tourism, with visitors from the US up 21.6 per cent so far this year.

Millions of British property buyers have been heading to Spain for decades, but now it seems there are more people with money in the southern Spanish area than ever before.

According to new figures, hundreds of luxury vehicles have been sold in the province of Marbella this year, with statistics revealing an increase of 16 per cent compared to 2006.

Víctor Vázquez of the Fischer Mercedes showroom, explained to Spanish newspaper Sur: “The customers who come here know exactly what they want.

“In fact I would almost go as far as to say that the price is the least of their worries.”

Spain is still seen as a top holiday destination for Britons, with millions heading overseas each year, while thousands more continue to invest in property in sunnier climes – and bring their money with them.

And expert Jay Patel, director of Want That Property, admitted that overseas buy-to-let property is worth the investment for Britons with money.

“In the UK, those wishing to enter the buy-to-let market are struggling to make a return on their investment, where overseas investors can be guaranteed a rental income over a specific number of years for certain developments,” he said.

The main hospital in the Costa del Sol, located seven kilometres outside of Marbella, is to increase its spending on its existing facilities.

The Costa del Sol Hospital is to undergo a €2.2 million scheme to improve its Accident and Emergency Department, which will also include work on its laboratory and neonatal units.

And the work is set to take place over the next two years, with hospital manager Jose Antonio Garcia explaining to southern Spain newspaper Sur: “Every year we carry out small improvement projects and we try to include them in the same contract so that they are carried out by just one firm.”

The work will involve increasing the size of initial examination rooms and the waiting room, giving more space and room for orthopaedics and paediatrics, which are two of the busiest areas of the accident and emergency department in the hospital.

And the hospital is also awaiting a new building annexe, which will provide another 550 beds.

The growing development of the European rail network gives travellers greater flexibility, making travel to Brit’s number one holiday hotspot – Spain – easier.

Unlike airplanes which travellers have to catch at definite times and to set destinations, rail passengers can choose their timetables and destinations with greater flexibility, according to Rail Europe.

This could see travellers aimed for the south of Spain stopping off at destinations such as Madrid along the way.

A Rail Europe spokesperson pointed out that the InterRail passes which cover a certain period of unlimited travel suit travellers needs and whims.

She added: “You’ve got the flexibility to literally hop from country to country as you want to… You have the freedom to travel when and where you like.”

While Spain is dotted with airports, many of which are served from the UK, the spokesperson said that plane travel has its drawbacks.

“If you fly and you want to change your flight, you end up pretty much having to book a new one – particularly with low cost airlines – or it’s going to cost you a lot to make amendments to your flight,” she commented.