Saturday, July 23, 2005
From Costa Blanca News (22.7.5)
ALBATERA LRAU claims Brits' garden BY DAVE JONES
A British couple caught up in a land-grab scheme in Albatera have spoken of their dismay after finding out that a road has been routed through their garden. Maureen and Michael Marsh had accused the town hall of secrecy over the project at Polígono 5 when they were consistently denied access to the architect's drawings. The scheme to build 700 houses on rural land on the edge of Albatera was first made public on June 15 but the Marshes only managed to see the plans for the first time this week. The couple had to make an appointment to see the drawings even though the law requires the documents to be on public display. Residents have just a few more days to present objections against the Albanatura scheme. Mrs Marsh said: "The situation is worse than we thought. We are absolutely appalled by the barbaric nature of the plan. We knew the road was coming close to our home but we didn't expect it to come so close that we might be able to shake hands with drivers of passing cars. The route the road is taking slices straight through our front gate, down the pathway leading to the house and clips the swimming pool. Just how we are going to put a stop to all this I don't know." She said that the plan showed that 38 of the houses would be built on the land around her home and the neighbours' property. "Our situation will relate to Custer's Last Stand, whereby we will be in the middle surrounded not by Indians but houses," she said. Councillors at Albatera town hall will make a decision in the coming months over whether to approve the Albanatura plan.
davejones@costablanca-news.com
BRITS' CONCERN OVER CATRAL PLAN Mayor hopes to legalise many rural homes
BY DAVE JONES
SCORES OF RESIDENTS IN CATRAL FACE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE AFTER THE MAYOR UNVEILED A NEW TOWN PLAN (PGOU) WHICH WILL SEE NEARLY A THIRD OF THE MUNICIPALITY CONVERTED INTO BUILDING LAND.
The PGOU - which sets out how Catral will develop over the next decade andmore - envisages that up to 10,248 houses will be built on six million square metres of reclassified land. The population of the municipality is predicted to rise from 6,000 people to more than 30,000. Earlier this year, Catral gained notoriety after Guardia Civil Seprona officers reported that up to 1,000 illegal homes have been built on traditional farmland. The case has now been passed on to the courts. A regional Spanish newspaper reported yesterday (Thursday) that mayor José Manuel Rodríguez Leal believed the regional land and housing department will legalise up to 80 per cent of the illegal homes next year. But those who live in rustic areas which have been earmarked for development under the PGOU fear they will become the victims of land-grab schemes when developers are given the green light. Other residents who have homes in a belt of land near El Hondo natural park, which is to be turned into a green zone, have been told there is a possibility they will only retain their properties during their lifetime. These residents will be offered a parcel of land in an urbanisable area as compensation. Home owners banded together this week to tell the local authority that they do not want excessive development in Catral. But they have been told that all objections against the plan have to be posted by the end of today(Friday). Estate agents Dave and Yvonne Hawley, who run the Torrevieja-based Hispania Group, live in the area which is to be classified as a green zone. "We went to the town hall to get a copy of the plan and to find out what was going on," said Mrs Hawley. "They said that the mayor wanted to offer up 1.685 million square metres of land as a public park as part of the urbanisation plan and that we could only retain our houses until we die. "Everyone agrees that there has to be growth but we want to see controlled growth not massive expansion," said Mr Hawley. "We want the village to be able to keep its identity." A spokesman for the planning department at Catral town hall told CostaBlanca News this week that a draft version of the PGOU had been sent to the regional government office in Alicante and the local authority is waiting to hear comments. He also confirmed that the town hall is in discussion with the regional government over a scheme to legalise houses which have been built on rural land in Catral.
davejones@costablanca-news.com__________
ALBATERA LRAU claims Brits' garden BY DAVE JONES
A British couple caught up in a land-grab scheme in Albatera have spoken of their dismay after finding out that a road has been routed through their garden. Maureen and Michael Marsh had accused the town hall of secrecy over the project at Polígono 5 when they were consistently denied access to the architect's drawings. The scheme to build 700 houses on rural land on the edge of Albatera was first made public on June 15 but the Marshes only managed to see the plans for the first time this week. The couple had to make an appointment to see the drawings even though the law requires the documents to be on public display. Residents have just a few more days to present objections against the Albanatura scheme. Mrs Marsh said: "The situation is worse than we thought. We are absolutely appalled by the barbaric nature of the plan. We knew the road was coming close to our home but we didn't expect it to come so close that we might be able to shake hands with drivers of passing cars. The route the road is taking slices straight through our front gate, down the pathway leading to the house and clips the swimming pool. Just how we are going to put a stop to all this I don't know." She said that the plan showed that 38 of the houses would be built on the land around her home and the neighbours' property. "Our situation will relate to Custer's Last Stand, whereby we will be in the middle surrounded not by Indians but houses," she said. Councillors at Albatera town hall will make a decision in the coming months over whether to approve the Albanatura plan.
davejones@costablanca-news.com
BRITS' CONCERN OVER CATRAL PLAN Mayor hopes to legalise many rural homes
BY DAVE JONES
SCORES OF RESIDENTS IN CATRAL FACE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE AFTER THE MAYOR UNVEILED A NEW TOWN PLAN (PGOU) WHICH WILL SEE NEARLY A THIRD OF THE MUNICIPALITY CONVERTED INTO BUILDING LAND.
The PGOU - which sets out how Catral will develop over the next decade andmore - envisages that up to 10,248 houses will be built on six million square metres of reclassified land. The population of the municipality is predicted to rise from 6,000 people to more than 30,000. Earlier this year, Catral gained notoriety after Guardia Civil Seprona officers reported that up to 1,000 illegal homes have been built on traditional farmland. The case has now been passed on to the courts. A regional Spanish newspaper reported yesterday (Thursday) that mayor José Manuel Rodríguez Leal believed the regional land and housing department will legalise up to 80 per cent of the illegal homes next year. But those who live in rustic areas which have been earmarked for development under the PGOU fear they will become the victims of land-grab schemes when developers are given the green light. Other residents who have homes in a belt of land near El Hondo natural park, which is to be turned into a green zone, have been told there is a possibility they will only retain their properties during their lifetime. These residents will be offered a parcel of land in an urbanisable area as compensation. Home owners banded together this week to tell the local authority that they do not want excessive development in Catral. But they have been told that all objections against the plan have to be posted by the end of today(Friday). Estate agents Dave and Yvonne Hawley, who run the Torrevieja-based Hispania Group, live in the area which is to be classified as a green zone. "We went to the town hall to get a copy of the plan and to find out what was going on," said Mrs Hawley. "They said that the mayor wanted to offer up 1.685 million square metres of land as a public park as part of the urbanisation plan and that we could only retain our houses until we die. "Everyone agrees that there has to be growth but we want to see controlled growth not massive expansion," said Mr Hawley. "We want the village to be able to keep its identity." A spokesman for the planning department at Catral town hall told CostaBlanca News this week that a draft version of the PGOU had been sent to the regional government office in Alicante and the local authority is waiting to hear comments. He also confirmed that the town hall is in discussion with the regional government over a scheme to legalise houses which have been built on rural land in Catral.
davejones@costablanca-news.com__________
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