A church in Motril has run into trouble over allegedly illegal building work; they had decided to build a Sunday-School classroom and storeroom for Easter thrones.
The church, la Virgen de las Angustias, which is situated on Calle de las Cañas, didn’t apply for a building licence for the work, which was especially controversial as it affects a building from the XVII Century and is protected.
Consequently the Town Hall has ordered the works stopped, in the meantime, the Town Council is deciding whether to issue a licence and under what conditions, considering the special status of the building.
Local historian, Manuel Domínguez, explained that the Iglesia del Carmen had been built on top of the old hermitage of San Roque, which,in turn, had been built in the XVI Century. Of that original building there is only the old entrance arch and a room.
He also pointed that the present-day church is the only one that hadn’t been damaged during the Civil War and stands today pretty much as it was when it was built.
For the above reasons he asks that there should be an adequate study on the plans to modify the building, carried out by the Town Hall or even the Junta’s Heritage Department.
According to the parish priest of the church/parish, Father Juan Bautista Amat, the project “does not affect the church,” adding that, “They are spreading a hoax that the work is affecting the Hermitage of San Roque and it is not the case.”
When asked about there being no building licence when the works were initiated, he responded that they had requested such a permit and that in the meantime they had taken up some of the flooring stones and a gardened area to stop the damp getting in.
He also claims that the Provincial Cultural Delegate for the Junta had made it clear that the work was not affecting [adversely] anything. He finished by saying that he expected to receive the building licence very soon.
(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia – Photo: Jesus Hermoso Rodríguez)