A group of residents and business owners from Babilonia Beach in Guardamar del Segura are fighting what may be their final legal battle to prevent the demolition of their homes and properties. Following the recent destruction of two long-standing restaurants, Jaime Playa and Miramar, a new complaint has been filed accusing two senior officials from the Coastal Department in Alicante of malfeasance, offering a potential lifeline for the over 60 homes still facing demolition.

The complaint targets Rosa de los Ríos, current head of the Alicante Coastal Authority, and her predecessor, Ángel Muñoz Cubillo. Filed by the owner of one of the demolished restaurants, the complaint alleges the two knowingly issued an unfair resolution by initiating a recovery of possession despite existing legal protections.

The plaintiffs argue that under the 1989 Coastal Regulations, permanent authorizations were converted into 30-year concessions starting from the 1988 Coastal Law, with automatic extensions for another 30 years in 2018, ensuring their validity until 2048.

This interpretation forms the basis of the legal argument: that the concessions, including for properties like el Restaurante Jaime, were still valid and should have prevented the demolitions. Furthermore, the lawsuit contends that both officials were aware that initiating recovery actions against properties registered in the Property Registry was unlawful.

According to attorney Joaquín Galant, the Coastal Authority acted prematurely and illegitimately, pushing forward demolitions without waiting for judicial confirmation of concession validity. The case specifically points to the denial of a license to María Teresa Ríos for el Restaurante Jaime, despite knowledge that the property sat on land with a valid, automatically extended concession.

The demolished properties were located on public coastal land, near the start of Avda Ingeniero Codorniu. These actions are part of a broader government plan led by the Ministry for Ecological Transition (Miteco) to remove unauthorized buildings along the beach, arguing they lack public ownership rights. Over 60 more demolitions are scheduled for September, affecting approximately 600 metres of beachfront properties.

Residents argue that their homes were originally built with government support as a defense against beach erosion and were granted legal concessions accordingly. They maintain that the demolitions violate the extensions granted under existing law and that the authorities acted with full knowledge that their actions might be illegal.

The case now rests with the Alicante Court of Appeals, which must decide whether to reopen the malfeasance case. If the court rules in favour of the residents, it could halt further demolitions and trigger a broader investigation into potential misconduct by the Coastal Authority.

“For the residents of Babilonia Beach, this legal appeal may be their last chance to halt the demolitions and preserve the homes and community they’ve built over many generations.”