Anyone driving around the urbanisations of Orihuela Costa will notice that a forest of cranes that again pepper the skyline. It appears that the brakes have come off the construction industry and there is another mad scramble to build on any piece of vacant land which was reclassified for a price.
Several major builders have large scale projects all intent on cramming as many housing units as possible onto the small plots of land, even on land that is not suitable, like the land at the bottom of Carrer Cipres, an unnamed person filled in the barranca with the sole purpose of building on it, not even caring that when we get the next dana most of the land fill could be washed away leaving the properties in a dangerous condition or even collapsed.
The individual could be fined for filling in the barranca, but that is nothing compared to the tens of millions they would make, but then who could the owners turn to for help when it happens, as there are far too many existing examples already on the Coast. The developers have gone and the town hall just shrug their shoulders.
This is a much far bigger problem than the residents of the Coast know about.
Another development is in Calle Isaac Albeniz VillaMartin, where the developer was allowed to build only metres from the edge of the barranca, but when the dana 2019 came that was the catalyst of much bigger problems to come, resulting in several villas losing the majority of back garden, gardens gone, swimming pools compromised.
Some properties have been evacuated because of the fears of the structures when the next DANA arrives, YET, the developer was allowed to construct, deals were done in bars/ restaurants, envelopes allegedly changed hands, licenses were granted.
The developer has now gone or changed names, the people responsible for granting the licenses also most probably gone, so what we have is a Mexican standoff between our town hall and CHS as to who is responsible.
What was the norm back then can only be compared as to what is going on today, about ludicrous licenses being granted, land grabs allowed to happen like the Finca Langostina which the family have been fighting for over 20 Years to protect what is rightfully theirs. It is obvious that money makes the laws in Orihuela, not man’s laws.
Any brain-dead chimpanzee could predict that any economy that depends on unlimited sales of new homes is built on foundations of quicksand! One needs to question where are the unlimited supply of purchasers? However, this is not the most important question that should be asked. More importantly, by far, is the question – what are the work aspirations of these house buyers? The majority of the economy in the Orihuela Costa limited to construction.
What is evident from any analysis of Orihuela Costa is that the Councillors based in Orihuela city have totally ignored the employment requirements of potential Costa residents. How can any planning authority approve unlimited construction of dwellings without due consideration to the economic needs of individuals who will inhabit these homes?
Is it believed that these homes will just be used as holiday accommodation? What we are witnessing is construction without a conscience, a town hall driven by greed and individual personal ambitions.
