Sunday, October 08, 2006
THE ENEMY AT THE DOOR
Aspe couple reach zero hour in land grab battle
By Tom CainAspe
British couple Terry and Linda Venables, who have been fighting a land grab battle for the past two years, found this week that their efforts to save their property may have been fruitless when the developer told them on Monday that he would be running a trench through their garden and a corner of their house. The developer, who has been able to use the former LRAU land law to relieve the couple of more than 800 square metres of prime land and oblige them to pay 60,000 euros for infrastructure costs, has to give them 15 days' notice of any work to be carried out on their land. This agreement however, has been ignored with continuous unannounced incursions onto their property by surveyors. Despite strong backing from groups opposed to the LRAU and its successor, the LUV, Terry and Linda have been unable to break the legal noose placed around their necks by the development plan, which in real terms means tha tif they refuse to pay they will lose their house; if they stay they face having a road right outside their living room and if they accept the developer's offer they get less than the true value of their home. Costa Blanca News contacted Aspe council on behalf of Terry and Linda. The advice given was to make an appointment with urban development councillor Juan Manuel Padilla Alberola to explain their situation. Following a meeting with Sr Padilla in the presence of their lawyer, the councillor claimed he knew nothing about the development and would investigate.The case of Terry and Linda Venables is now just one in a long list of injustices carried out by developers and local councils in the name of progress using an unfair land law as their shield. Aspe is an area favoured by British expats and urban development in the town is increasing, but as Terry said, "We live here and pay our taxes, yet when it comes to our rights it seems greed has the last word and we don't count for anything."
tomcain@costablancanews.es
Aspe couple reach zero hour in land grab battle
By Tom CainAspe
British couple Terry and Linda Venables, who have been fighting a land grab battle for the past two years, found this week that their efforts to save their property may have been fruitless when the developer told them on Monday that he would be running a trench through their garden and a corner of their house. The developer, who has been able to use the former LRAU land law to relieve the couple of more than 800 square metres of prime land and oblige them to pay 60,000 euros for infrastructure costs, has to give them 15 days' notice of any work to be carried out on their land. This agreement however, has been ignored with continuous unannounced incursions onto their property by surveyors. Despite strong backing from groups opposed to the LRAU and its successor, the LUV, Terry and Linda have been unable to break the legal noose placed around their necks by the development plan, which in real terms means tha tif they refuse to pay they will lose their house; if they stay they face having a road right outside their living room and if they accept the developer's offer they get less than the true value of their home. Costa Blanca News contacted Aspe council on behalf of Terry and Linda. The advice given was to make an appointment with urban development councillor Juan Manuel Padilla Alberola to explain their situation. Following a meeting with Sr Padilla in the presence of their lawyer, the councillor claimed he knew nothing about the development and would investigate.The case of Terry and Linda Venables is now just one in a long list of injustices carried out by developers and local councils in the name of progress using an unfair land law as their shield. Aspe is an area favoured by British expats and urban development in the town is increasing, but as Terry said, "We live here and pay our taxes, yet when it comes to our rights it seems greed has the last word and we don't count for anything."
tomcain@costablancanews.es
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