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Plan to legalise a Guardamar market is rejected by Generalitat

Flea Market

The Guardamar Town Hall’s special plan to regulate Campo’s well-known Sunday market, which was started in 1993 on non-urbanizable land and includes a portion of the Natural Park of the Lagoons of Torrevieja and La Mata’s Natural Resources Management Plan, has received a negative opinion from the Generalitat.

The environmental assessment committee signed the resolution over a year and a half ago, but the General Directorate of Urban Planning of the Generalitat has only just mandated its public release.

The market’s owners and the Association of Vendors of Campo de Guardamar have both filed appeals, but the administrative judgement jeopardises the activity’s continued existence.

According to the study, the special plan is deemed unfeasible in light of the local characteristics and has a substantial environmental impact.

The Generalitat specifically raises concerns about the lack of clarity in the resolution of the activity’s impact on traffic congestion and the disregard for the rules of the Sectorial Plan for Commerce of the Community (Patsecova) and the Territorial Action Plan against the Risk of Flooding (Patricova). Despite being outside the Natural Park’s boundaries according to the special municipal plan, the technicians’ reports—particularly those of the protected area’s director of conservation—show that a portion of the ongoing activity does have an impact on the Natural Resources Management Plan strip. Because the actual activity that happens on the ground every Sunday is far larger than the municipal proposal that is displayed on the surface.

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The group of sellers, the landowner who oversees it, and sources from the City Council’s own governing team have explained that the precautionary measures taken by the court that decides whether the installation is legal are still in effect even though the allegations in the unfavourable report that was sent to those impacted in mid-2023 have not been addressed.

After an appeal, the court declared that it would not rule on the matter and that these precautionary measures would be maintained with authorisation to open until the regional administration determined whether the special plan would allow their legalisation, in response to a 2015 TSJCV ruling ordering the closure.

In 2021, the City Council presented a specific plan for “a private provision of a tourist street market with complementary public use” for sporting and cultural events. There are also public initiatives aimed at protecting the activity. Another municipal special plan was started in 2014, however it was archived in 2016 after suffering the same fate.

Three prior attempts to get a declaration of community interest, an urban planning tool that would have also permitted the activity to be legalised, were denied between 1993 and 2013. The facility’s closure would have a severe financial impact on dozens of families, according to those impacted. In the peak season, up to 600 companies open on Sundays, and in the winter, at least 450.

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About 27,000 square meters make up the market and the parking lot. It offers the typical market fare, which includes fresh produce, clothing, and fruits. In this instance, however, it is accompanied by a showcase of over 60 eateries featuring kitchens and terraces. In addition to finding a wide range of services like cable television, home furnishings, and even real estate, thousands of visitors wind down their Sunday mornings with lunch.

The same sellers have been using the permanent installations for decades; many of them utilise this location for their primary weekly sale because weekend markets are far more popular than conventional ones. In addition to purchasing supplies, users come here for leisure and entertainment.

José Cánovas, a businessman, notes that the Association of Vendors and the management are prepared to invest the required funds to carry out the special plan. They are also willing to give up the use of the land for public events and build a roundabout on CV-895 to give access to the Los Curros path, which is where the market is located.

The same source questions how the Administration could have permitted a development like El Raso, “with houses on the shore of the La Mata lagoon,” while refusing to permit the market. This is a reference to a contentious one-million-square-meter development that, following a protracted legal battle, one of the primary advocates of Vega Baja was able to remove from the Natural Park’s highest protected area.

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With thousands of tourist-residential homes that are primarily drawn by the views of the protected lagoon, the last stage of building is currently under way. Additionally, according to the same sources, commercial activity was in operation long before the Plan de Ordenación de Recursos Naturales was approved in 2010, and the regional administration rejected a specific request to remove it from that area.

Another sizable, private market is being hosted next to the N-332, across from the Santa Ana industrial complex, in addition to this Sunday market in Guardamar.


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Costa Blanca

Torrevieja fails to comply with its commitment to open new road at La Hoya for Easter

Eduardo Dolón (PP), the mayor of Torrevieja, announced at the beginning of April that the new Avenida José Carreras in the La Hoya residential area would be open to alleviate some of the traffic flow between the main access and exit road to the city, the CV-905, and the northern part of the town this Easter. However, the mayor’s announcement remains unfulfilled.

In his press conference last Thursday, April 17th , the Councillor for Traffic and Safety, Federico Alarcón, did not provide any explanation regarding the matter. Neither did the government team, even on Instagram, which is typically one of their primary communication channels.

This Easter Sunday, the road is still closed to traffic.

On April 3rd, Dolón responded to media enquiries by stating that municipal technicians and representatives of the developer had conducted numerous meetings to facilitate the opening of the four-lane avenue to traffic, with two lanes in each direction.

Given the significant tourist influx during Easter and the congested CV-95, the opening of this road was considered appropriate. By doing so, it would alleviate the traffic congestion.

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The mayor clarified that the City Council must certify the first phase of the development being constructed, while a provisional acceptance of that section of road will be conducted.

Through the administrative process of reception, technicians verify that the works executed by a developer within an urban development plan that has been authorised by the municipality are in accordance with the project’s investment and on-site characteristics.

Víctor Costa, the Director General of Urban Planning at Torrevieja City Council, is currently responsible for validating receipts. It is crucial to consider the administrative process, as it is exceedingly challenging to hold the developer accountable in the event that the City Council identifies deficiencies subsequent to receipt.

Copyright: Derek Appleton

The avenue is more comprehensive than those implemented in other developments in the area in terms of furniture, signage, safety, pedestrian conditions, and accessibility; it spans over one kilometre and the end of the new road, near the N332 (above) doesn’t look fit for traffic as there appears to be a steep incline making it impossible for the likes of buses to naviagate.

The connection between the CV-905 and the northeast area of the Torrevieja municipality has been closed for just over a year. This closure was due to the construction of the macro-urban development project, which will build 7,500 new residential homes in the sector starting in October 2023. The road, which is commonly referred to as the “swiggly road,” is used daily by hundreds of drivers to traverse the city centre.

This year, the Traffic Department has devised an alternative route that traverses numerous residential areas.

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Walkway from Aguamarina to La Caleta in Cabo Roig will reopen, again

According to the notification from the Provincial Expropriation Jury to the Orihuela City Council following its approval of the court’s appraisal report, the municipal coffers will incur a cost of 26,180 euros for the expropriation of the land to reopen the pedestrian crossing connecting Aguamarina with La Caleta in Cabo Roig, near the Bellavista development.

The City Council has now requested that the Treasury deposit the specified amount in the receptacle and proceed with the preoccupation of reopening the promenade this summer.

Unable to reach an agreement, the local government and the proprietors brought the process before the provincial jury. Almost 17 times the municipal technicians’ calculation (€69,113), the proprietors presented a valuation of €1.2 million for their 227-square-metre cliffside plots in January of last year.

Nevertheless, this proposition was a decrease from the 3 million euros that they had initially requested. The 52 residents of the residential complex have established a price of approximately 170,000 euros for the 142 square meters of land that is to be expropriated, which is a decrease from the previous price of 2 million euros. Conversely, Cabo Roig SA has requested 987,000 euros (previously 1 million euros) for 85 square meters of hotel use. The City Council’s initial assessment was 44,000 euros.

The jury ultimately found that the City Council had to pay just over €26,000. The 2024 budget allocated €600,000 for the expropriation of the land and the necessary works to reinstate an idyllic pedestrian promenade along the Orihuela coastline. This should be kept in mind. This promenade has been accessible to the public for many years, but it has been closed since December 2021. The City Council closed it in accordance with a court judgement, which necessitated a two-kilometre diversion for residents and numerous visitors to circumvent a section that was only 60 metres in length.

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The residential development was authorised prior to the Coastal Law and the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) of 1990, which mandated that the initial line be used for public purposes. Nevertheless, the City Council refrained from expropriating this section, which ensured the promenade’s continuity along the entire littoral. In 2013, the residents of the development constructed a wall to seal off the path that runs along the precipice and is adjacent to the gardens of their residences.

In 2013, the local government, at the request of the socialist Antonio Zapata, the councillor for urban planning at the time, initiated the process of restoring urban planning legality against the development. The process involved the installation of a barrier and a wall, which impeded traffic on the section.

In March 2015, City Hall employees employed sledgehammers to breach the gate and wall, thereby allowing the public access to the trail, with the support of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ). In 2016, the Elche Administrative Court ruled in favour of the residents of the development, annulling the rulings and directing City Hall to restore the cliff walkway at the Bellavista I residential complex, which was never considered public property.

Although the local government has been appealing its enforcement, the ruling became final when the City Council, which was then governed by the People’s Party (PP), did not appeal. The Provincial Coastal Service reported in May 2017 that a right of way impacted the land in Aguamarina. Consequently, the 52 residents of the residential complex were unable to close the passageway and were required to maintain it undisturbed.

The City Council filed an appeal against the October 4th, 2018, order, which ordered the fencing and restitution of the demolished wall. The TSJ overturned the appeal in a November 2020 ruling, stating that the wall was legally constructed by the residents prior to the implementation of the current Coastal Law, which is the foundation of the Provincial Coastal Service’s right of way discussion. The City Council assumed the report and was subsequently obligated to execute the 2016 ruling, which mandates the reconstruction of the demolished perimeter fence and annuls the 2013 agreement of the Governing Board and the 2015 demolition decree.

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Therefore, in December 2021, it was once again closed to adhere to the ruling, which mandated that the City Council restore it to its original condition.


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Crackdown on illegal sales in Calpe

As part of a campaign against street vending that will be further bolstered in the spring and summer of 2025, the Guardia Civil and Local Police have deployed over 25 officers and a drone to the beaches of Levante and Poniente.

A police operation was conducted a few days ago to combat the illicit sale and counterfeiting of products by plainclothes and uniformed officers from the Guardia Civil and the Calpe Local Police. The prevention and deterrent campaign against illicit street vending will persist throughout the spring and summer of 2025, and this action is a component of it.

The Guardia Civil officers from the Main Post and the specialised unit PAFIF (Tax and Border Patrol), which monitors borders and controls taxation in our country, as well as the UTAI and USC CALP units of the Calpe Local Police, were involved in the police operation, which was aided by a drone from the UMAC (Calpe Local Police Aerial Means Unit). This police operation, which was conducted on the Levante and Poniente beaches of Calpe, involved over 25 officers from both forces.

In the course of the operation, 180 leather products, 212 T-shirts, 38 swimsuits, 12 caps and 291 pairs of trainers were confiscated, in addition to five vehicles that were purportedly used as warehouses. The prospective market value of all counterfeit items, which includes the value of the immobilised vehicles and the seized materials, is €15,000. The competent authorities were also informed of the sellers who were identified.

The Councillor for Citizen Security of the Calp City Council, Guillermo Sendra Guardiola, conveyed his satisfaction with the positive relationship and spirit of collaboration and cooperation between the Guardia Civil and the Local Police. “The councillor underscored that the fact that both forces are collaborating, despite their differences in resources and efforts, results in heightened safety for Calpe residents and visitors.”

The local government’s dedication to law enforcement is complemented by its efforts to increase community awareness of the risks and repercussions of supporting this unlawful trade, as the municipal ordinance prohibits both the street sale and purchase of these products.

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Alicante Car Show 4th - 6th April
April 4, 2025 - April 6, 2025    
10:00 - 21:00
This weekend, Alicante will host the biggest car show in the province. The 21st edition of Sobre 2 ruedas and the 53rd edition of Firauto, [...]
Exhibition of Static and Radio-Controlled Naval Modeling in Torrevieja
April 6, 2025 - April 26, 2025    
10:30 - 19:30
An exhibition of static and radio-controlled naval modelling will be in the 'Los Aljibes' exhibition hall at the Park of Nations in Torrevieja and will [...]
Lenny Kravitz in Concert in A Coruña
April 10, 2025    
21:30 - 23:00
Lenny Kravitz will be preforming live at the Coliseum, C. Francisco Pérez Carballo, 2, 15008 A Coruña on Thursday 10th April this year. Leonard Albert [...]
Torrevieja Book Fair
April 12, 2025 - April 21, 2025    
All Day
The 27th edition of the Torrevieja Book Fair, which will take place on Paseo Vista Alegre from Saturday, April 12th to Monday, April 21st. For [...]
Survivor: The Extreme Test in Alicante 12th & 13th April
April 12, 2025 - April 13, 2025    
All Day
The Survivor Race obstacle course is made for people of all skill levels, from novices to those who take their training seriously. The obstacle course, [...]
13th Classic Motor Festival in Guardamar on Saturday, April 12
April 12, 2025    
10:00 - 18:00
According to the mayor of Guardamar del Segura, José Luis Sáez, the 13th Solidarity Motor Festival will be held on Saturday, April 12th, and is [...]
Holy Week in Torrevieja 2025
April 13, 2025 - April 20, 2025    
All Day
From April 13 (Palm Sunday) to April 20, 2025, there will be Holy Week. Following the lunar schedule, Holy Week takes place during the same [...]
Denia Market
April 14, 2025    
09:00 - 13:00
Dénia's enormous local market sells apparel, ceramics, household products, nuts, and sweets to locals and tourists. A churros stall greets tourists at the entrance. Summer [...]
Santa Pola Medieval Market 2025
April 17, 2025 - April 21, 2025    
11:00 - 23:00
The Medieval Market returns to Santa Pola from April 17th to 21st, the center of Santa Pola will host the traditional Medieval Market During market [...]
Murcia Spring Flower Parade 24 April
April 24, 2025    
All Day
The colourful Flower Parade, popularly known as the "Battle of Flowers," throws fresh flowers at spectators. Murcian women in regional costumes atop floral-decorated floats. Over [...]
Gran Hotel Bali Benidorm Vertical Climb
April 26, 2025    
10:00 - 14:00
The most famous climb in Spain will take place at the highest hotel in Europe. The 19th annual Vertical Climb will take place on Saturday, [...]
Murcia Burying the Sardine Saturday 26th April 2025
April 26, 2025    
18:00
They do bury sardines. Music, colour, dancing, and processions precede the more solemn religious holidays as funfair season ends. This centuries-old ritual of burying a [...]
Villajoyosa Medieval Market Saturday 3rd May 2025
May 3, 2025    
All Day
Experience Villajoyosa's lovely coastal village and annual mediaeval market on a day trip. You have time to explore the town's attractions, seafront restaurants and cafes, [...]
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Denia Market
14 Apr 25
Dénia
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