The World Heritage Committee,
1. Acknowledging that the Spanish authorities have provided, as requested by the World Heritage Centre, information concerning the current state of the construction plan for the Plaza Santa Teresa,;
2. Recalling that the Plaza Santa Teresa has been included in the nomination file as part of the protected area of the property ‘Old Town of Avila', being the buffer zone between the Puerta del Alcazar and the Church of San Pedro,;
3. Recalling also that when inscribing the property in 1985, the extra-muros Church of San Pedro was included in the listed area, as advised by the Bureau, and special mention was made of the Square of Santa Teresa as a high point within the World Heritage property,;
4. Further recalling Paragraph 56 of the Operational Guidelines, where the State Party is requested to inform the World Heritage Centre of any construction plans that may affect a World Heritage property,;
5. Expresses concern about the demolition of the old buildings, its impact on the authenticity of the World Heritage property, the construction plans for a new and bigger building, and the refurbishment of the Plaza Santa Teresa;
6. Urges the State Party to reconsider the construction plans of the new building in order to adapt it as far as possible to the historic ensemble of the area;
7. Requests the State Party to provide to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2004, a report on these issues in order that the World Heritage Committee can examine the state of conservation of the property at its 28th session in 2004.