Bulldozers stir up hornets’ nest on Costa Blanca
The Spanish Environment Minister Señora Narbona’s announcement in November 2007 of plans to demolish frontline properties and ban coastline building on the Costa Blanca has apparently stirred up a whole hornets’ nest. Thousands of properties could be affected by plans outlined in the Coast Sustainability Strategy report delivered recently by the Environment Assessing Council (CAMA)1.
The Coast Sustainability Strategy Report outlines various plans for the regeneration of beaches, the purchase of coastline land, the demolition of buildings and the declassification of development sites along over 200 kilometres of coastline in the Valencia Region. This would put an end to ‘the mass occupation of coastline land’. The report states that 32 per cent of the Spanish Mediterranean coast requires urgent action against mass development, pinpointing the Valencia Region specifically as having 80 per cent of the coastline developed while the percentage for the rest of the Med is of 50 per cent.
BULLDOZERS
In 2007 alone the Environment Ministry ordered the demolition of 665 buildings within the maritime-terrestrial zone – 16 times more than in 2004. Since legislation was introduced, 1,200 demolitions have been carried out.
Antonio Serrano, the ministry’s general secretary for territory and biodiversity, was adamant that the demolitions would continue. Another strategy included in the report is the banning of all future house developments within 500 metres of the coastline.
Sra Narbona wants to see Spain’s cities and towns recreated on grounds of environmental sustainability, calling for ‘more bicycles, more public transport, cleaner transport, intelligent buildings and the restoration of green areas’. Tourism must be run on sustainable grounds, as reducing the quality of tourist areas risks bringing in ‘bread today, and hunger tomorrow” 2
NEGOTIATIONS
The Ministry of the Environment however, faces one major problem if it wants to go ahead with its demolition and building ban scheme. Central government only has authority over the maritime-terrestrial public domain, which in the Valencia Region is, on average, six metres from sea level. Hence, it would require negotiations with the regional government and individual town halls to proceed with its plan.The Valencian government is expected to release a statement shortly regarding Minister Narbona’s proposals. If it goes ahead the strategy will attract EU funding3 together with support from the national Ministry for the Environment 4.
1 El Comité Asesor de Medio Ambiente, CAMA is a group presided over by the Spanish Environment Minister Sra Cristina Narbona. It includes representatives of various ecology groups such as Greenpeace, SEO/Birdlife and Adena, workers’ unions, consumers’ associations, fishermen’s guilds and business organisations.
2 ACTUALIDAD24HORAS.COM 15.12.05
3 FEDER
4 El Ministerio de Medio Ambiente
Questions
Sources:
ACTUALIDAD24HORAS.COM 15.12.05, Spanish news online
http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/20071031/local/valencia/narbona-partidaria-moratoria-urbanistica-200710311656.html
http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/pg060605/prensa/noticias/Tema_Dia/200606/05/ALI-SUB-002.html
http://www.costablanca-news.com/news/frontnorth.htm
Costa Blanca News Fri Nov 2nd – 8th 2007 James Parker
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