The Torrevieja Council has received a number of objections to the remodelling of the port. And in particular the private initiative to build a commercial area along with the redevelopment of public facilities, such as Avenida and Paseo de la Libertad, the amusement fair and the craft market.
Other objections presented by Amigos de los Humedales del Sur de Alicante (AHSA) and Miguel Ángel Pavón, include rejection of the demolition of the fish market and the fishing warehouses due to their heritage and historic significance, and the modification of the maximum height of many buildings that would increase from a maximum of 3.6 metres to 12 metres.
The Fishermen’s Association, which provides approximately five million euros per year to the local economy, has not yet commented publicly on the proposals with the suggestion being that they are not likely to do so until they see the plans for their relocation.
However, as the fish market is a franchise which is owned by the Generalitat, it is they who must ultimately agree to the demolition of the site.
AHSA say that “under no circumstances should the three protected buildings making up the fish market be demolished” as they are already part of “the history and heritage” of Torrevieja. They state that any modification must promote their conservation and rehabilitation.
Their objections highlight the fact that the buildings intended to be demolished have architectural value as examples of industrial architecture linked to fishing and the history of the city, adding that that their architectural composition “contributes environmental quality to the port area.”
The municipal initiative has coincided with the presentation to the Generalitat by a company from the Vega Baja of a commercial project, with multiplex cinemas, bowling alleys and restaurants, with an investment of 30 million euros, which requires the demolition of buildings in order to provide the new site with lucrative use in the nearest area to the bay.
