Alex Trelinski
RESIDENTS have complained about an influx of motorhomes parked up close to the southern end of Torrevieja’s La Mata beach.
They’re concerned that the big vehicles using a public parking area at La Manguilla are blocking their sea views and are worried about increased sewage discharges.
The motorhomes are however parked perfectly legally so long as they stick to the law.
Torrevieja’s security councillor, Federico Alarcon, says the police have been round ‘on several occasions’ to talk to the vehicle owners about what they can or cannot do.
The local law is that the vehicles can be parked so long as nothing else is going on outside that can be classified as camping.
For example, no tables or chairs should be placed externally.
Residents claim those rules are being breached and that the vans are not properly parked parallel to the pavement.
Councillor Alarcon said that to his knowledge, ‘nobody’ had been fined.
With virtually all of the mobile homeowners being non-Spaniards, International Residents councillor, Gitte Lund, has also met some of them to explain the limitations of being parked up at La Mata.
Torrevieja council has already eliminated motorhome and caravan parking in some local coves and is expanding this to the Lo Ferris and Punta Prima areas.
It is also in the middle of lengthy legal action against a company that is offering parking and campsite facilities attracting motorhomes to a 5,500 m2 area of Eliseo Playas in Mar Azul.
Two years ago, the police cleared the site in a show of strength, but the operator won a judgement that vehicles could park there.
Federico Alarcon said: “The firm does have a licence for parking including motorhomes, but not the supply of services such as electricity and water which is what it allegedly offers.”
Like in the case of La Mata, residents claim that parking rules are being broken.
