Iona Napier
A 38,000 signature petition has forced the Junta to permanently abandon development plans on an unspoilt Cabo de Gata beach.
After widespread criticism and public outcry, the environment minister Jose Fiscal announced the Junta has scrapped plans to build a café and shop on Cabo de Gata’s beach Playa de Monsul.
Several groups had protested the build, claiming it would ‘distort’ the natural beauty and virgin beach of this protected space.
Fiscal announced that the aim of the project had been ‘to provide this natural enclave with more amenities for citizens, but only on the condition that it wouldn’t put the integrity of the space or its pure image at risk’.
The change.org petition, which currently counts almost 40,000 names, objected the project vehemently.
“The department for environment want to put a bar on Playa de Monsul, the most emblematic of the natural park and where it is in no way necessary nor justifiable,” reads the petition, uploaded by Podemos candidate Francisco Jose Peragon just two months ago.
“They aim to camouflage it under the name ‘coast services centre’ with a shop, information centre and bar to attract visitors.
“But there are already visitor and information centres in the area appropriately located, and we have no need for another.”
For all those who never knew Spain’s Med coast before the destruction – if you did you would weep. The ordinary people were poor but proud and there was a beauty that was breathtaking – soy muy triste.