There is a ripple of considerable concern passing through the Costa Tropical chiringuitos following the news that the Central Government is planning changes.
The draft bill of Madrid’s Reglamento General de Costa could do away with automatic renewals, which is causing understandable alarm in Motril, Almuñécar, and Salobreña.
The Ministry for the Ecological Transition proposes a shift in the management of the maritime-terrestrial public domain which, according to the Government, only seeks to strengthen transparency, free competition, and adapt the law to national environmental laws and European criteria.
That’s not how the town halls and chiringuito owners along the Costa Tropical see it. No municipal administrations and the business sectors warn that the new framework could disrupt the current balance of businesses on beaches and jeopardise an economic model that has worked perfectly well for decades.
As mentioned above, the main point of contention is the elimination of automatic concession renewals. Under the proposed new system, each business must undergo competitive bidding procedures, opening the door for historic businesses to lose their locations to new successful bidders.
In other words, your favourite, family-run chiringo that has turnied out your favourite goodies since you first set foot on the Costa Tropical could lose their licence to a newcomer… and who, knowing how politicians work, could win the bid with a ‘little helping hand.’
Almuñécar has 19 kilometres of beaches and there are chiringuitos on most of them, from San Cristóbal to La Cabría (where the very popular Títo Yaya and Casa Antonio stand). La Herradura has long-standing ones at both ends of the bay. Motril has its long established chiringuitos on Playa Poniente abd Playa Granada (such as Hoyo 19) whilst Salobreña, which has fewer chiringuitos, but timeless ones like El Peñón.
The worst part about the uncertainty that this law, if it comes into being, is that it means chiringuito owners won’t invest in improvements, which is detrimental to the tourism attraction that coastal towns enjoy.
In the meantime, the Central Government defends the reform as a response to European Union requirements aimed at avoiding closed concessions.
(News: Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)
Keywords: Draft Bill Threatens Chiringuitos, Chiringos, Madrid, Licence, Automatic Renewal, Playa Poniente, Playa Granada, Playa Cabria, El Peñón
news, andalucia, granada, costa tropical, almunecar, herradura, motril, salobrena, draft bill threatens chiringuitos, chiringos, madrid, licence, automatic renewal, playa poniente, playa granada, playa cabria, el peñón
Surely you’re not implying that there is corruption in not so high places. Business meetings have always occured at say , golf club restaurants and bars. Or anywhere where the applicant is happy to foot the bill. Perhaps it will bring a necessary kick up the rump of some of the establishments. Who have grown plump from the visitors that come in there hordes. Where service and cleanliness are a bit sparse. But who decides the outcome of such bidding. In southern Europe it’s good to have friends.