Frances LeateAN Olive Press campaign has been launched to help homeless fire victims return to their homes.
The Phoenix Campaign Group, made up of victims of the Malaga fires and their friends and family, has formed with our campaigning newspaper to put pressure on Mijas Town Hall.
Hundreds of fire victims have been waiting for the go-ahead to make their homes liveable again after being forced to wait three months to start crucial repair work.
They say they are prepared to fight every step of the way and may even take to the streets in protest.
It is hoped Campaign Phoenix will result in a meeting with the Major of Mijas, Angel Nozal, before Christmas.
We are now urging all victims of the fires and the floods to get in touch in the hope of changing a Spanish law that means they cannot rebuild their homes.
As reported in the Olive Press last issue, three months on from Malaga’s worst ever fire, which damaged hundreds of homes and thousands of acres of land, many victims are still homeless and struggling to get the green light to start building work.
Because of a decree, introduced last year to regulate properties which had been built on land not originally designated for construction, homeowners must seek a special building permit from the town bosses.
Chairman of the group, Pat Laing, said: “What we are trying to achieve is actually very straightforward, we want to hold Mijas Town Hall to its word.
“In a council meeting in September, town leaders told fire victims that they would seek to allow us to repair our homes and make them habitable.
She added: “We just want to get back to where we were before the fire.”
The first meeting of the Phoenix Campaign Group took place on December 3.
We hope to build a strong support network from both the expat and Spanish community in order to put pressure on town leaders.
Supporters can join the Facebook Group, Victimas del Incendio, and those not on the social networking site can email pat.laing@talk21.com or our newsdesk email, newsdesk@theolivepress.es.
Please get in touch with messages of support , comments and ideas.
The next meeting will take place at 11am on December 17 at the Pheonix Lounge, in Camino de Coin.
OLIVE PRESS YOU ARE WELL, father christmas of the xpat victims of the fires, YOU are giving help support and action keeping it at the forefront of the news . you truly are the newspaper of the people. I can only have praise for what you are doing.
Thank you Olive Press for taking up this campaign. It is so intolerable that people have been made homeless by the fires and the Town Hall seems to be able to offer no solution.
Good luck peoples x