The Almuñécar branch of the left-wing IU party has opposed the granting of a licence for a chiringuito on La Playa del Muerto, Cotobro.
In the last Plenary Meeting of the Town Council a motion was approved to send a list of chiringuitos (beach bars/restaurants) to the coastal authorities for their approval, so that these installations can be legalized. However, the IU voted against the motion as they considered three names should not have been included amongst the others.
According to the IU Councillor at the meeting, Francisco Fernández, the main problem was the proposed chiringuito that will be erected on the hitherto virgin beach, Playa del Muerto, which lies between Cotobro and the Marina del Este. It was not only a case of “where” but also the dimensions; installations that would cover 150 sq/m and thus completely dominate the beach.
He went on to say, with irony, that he was puzzled by the fact that over several years a local has requested, without success, to be able to mount a small kiosk there, for selling refreshments, occupying barely 10 sq/m. Each time he tried, it was rejected because the beach did not have, “adequate access, sewage disposal, electricity or mains water.”
So, asked the councillor, if there were too many difficulties for a kiosk, then these problems would be multiplied ten fold in the case of the proposed chiringuito.
He also expressed his surprise that the company behind the 7-star hotel, Bahía Fenicia, which wants to build hundreds of apartments and a super-luxury hotel just above the beach, should be dedicating its time to asking for a licence for a chiringuito.
What the IU councillor proposes is that if there is to be a chiringuito there, then it should be for a family business to generate an income; not so that a big company can hand over such an attractive beach to the users of apartments that will be going up on top of the Peñón del Lobo“.
The Councillor also criticised that a chiringuito in Marina del Este, which exceeds the area permitted by law, should be included within the said list.
Lastly, the IU opposed, but giving it less importance, the building of the Chiringuito Ponderosa because if the previous municipal council (Benavides) had given the order to demolish the original, and the law hasn’t changed since then, “We don’t understand what motives there could be a rebuild a chiringuitos that was demolished in its days, apparently with good reason.”
(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)