12 Feb, 2010 @ 11:50
1 min read
3

We’ll fight them on the beaches

IT took more than 20 years for a development plan to be legally approved.

But some 1500 Marbella residents still face the wrecking ball after being left out of the town’s PGOU.

Despite thousands of homes now being officially legalised, many others were not included in the much-anticipated plans.

Notably, the Banana Beach complex – home to some 300 Spanish and expatriate homeowners – is still in line to be pulled down.

And resident John Toomey has vowed to fight on after branding the latest decision a “huge injustice” as well as “discrimination”.

The retired lawyer, 63, explained: “Our case is identical to a number of properties which have now been legalised.

“They want to reclaim the seafront, but there is no basis for this in law or reality.”

“A top Spanish architect (Angel Dias del Rio) put forward a case in Sevilla to show we were being discriminated against.

“But it was simply swept under the carpet by the Junta.”

Toomey, from London, also criticised the folly of trying to make an example of Banana Beach.

“They want to reclaim the seafront, but there is no basis for this in law or reality,” he added.

“If they really wanted to do this then they would have to demolish half of Marbella.”

On agreeing the new PGOU last week Marbella mayor Angeles Munoz previously declared that “16,000 families will now sleep in peace”.

Spare a thought for those Marbella homes still fighting for their own reconciliation.

Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)

Jon Clarke is a Londoner who worked at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday as an investigative journalist before moving to Spain in 2003 where he helped set up the Olive Press.

After studying Geography at Manchester University he fell in love with Spain during a two-year stint teaching English in Madrid.

On returning to London, he studied journalism and landed his first job at the weekly Informer newspaper in Teddington, covering hundreds of stories in areas including Hounslow, Richmond and Harrow.

This led on to work at the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Mirror, Standard and even the Sun, before he landed his first full time job at the Daily Mail.

After a year on the Newsdesk he worked as a Showbiz correspondent covering mostly music, including the rise of the Spice Girls, the rivalry between Oasis and Blur and interviewed many famous musicians such as Joe Strummer and Ray Manzarak, as well as Peter Gabriel and Bjorn from Abba on his own private island.

After a year as the News Editor at the UK’s largest-selling magazine Now, he returned to work as an investigative journalist in Features at the Mail on Sunday.

As well as tracking down Jimi Hendrix’ sole living heir in Sweden, while there he also helped lead the initial investigation into Prince Andrew’s seedy links to Jeffrey Epstein during three trips to America.

He had dozens of exclusive stories, while his travel writing took him to Jamaica, Brazil and Belarus.

He is the author of three books; Costa Killer, Dining Secrets of Andalucia and My Search for Madeleine.

Contact jon@theolivepress.es

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