The spots are located on a prime stretch of Lisbon real estate, on the historic Rua das Janelas Verdes street.
The contract states that Lisbon council assigned “parking on the public patio area of the Pombal Palace, located on Rua das Janelas Verdes, numbers 35 to 41”, and the council justified the agreement saying the objective is to “avoid abusive parking in the area”.
The concession of use of municipal space, freed up and published by the council, is dated January 4 of this year, signed by the Municipal Director of Property Management, António Furtado.
However, parking inside the historic property is not permitted.
“The aim of the agreement is to avoid disturbances and disruption to local traffic, on a narrow, and rather busy artery, which the entry and exit of work vehicles would certainly cause - a practice similar to several other contracts entered into by the municipality”, a statement released by the council in reply to alleged “favouritism” for the singer, this week read.
This note adds that “the amount in question results from the application provided for in the Table of Prices and other Municipal Revenues, approved by Municipal Assembly and to which the council is bound, which is used to calculate the amount to be charged in all similar contracts”.
Lisbon council conceded the spaces to Madonna after she reportedly initially needed parking for 15 vehicles while renovation work is being carried out on her new home.
The council statement further explains that “Pombal Palace is currently unoccupied and has an interior space that has always been used for parking” and, the town hall stressed, at this time “it is not foreseeable” that “the space concerned will be needed in the short-term”.
However, according to the council, negotiations are ongoing “with the Republic of East Timor so that Pombal Palace can become the space of the future embassy of this country”.
The contract has been challenged by several councillors, MPs and fellow residents on Janelas Verdes street, who have said they will be taking Lisbon council to task over the arrangement.