It was one of the few agreements between the different political parts in the
town council. A consensus that Torrevieja should have at least one beach
where dogs were officially permitted. However, which beach should this be?
The choice of Cala del Moro-Mal Paso and Punta Margalla proved to be
controversial.
The debate has continued and tempers have flared along these parts of the
coast as residents have clashed with those enjoying the beach with their
dogs. The signs and bins constructed on the beaches were removed and the
police have had to be called on occasions.
The plan was that the allocation of these beaches would be a temporary one
and that a consultation vote would be held at the same time as the local
elections. However, this is now proving difficult to administer at the time it was
proposed to take place.
In order for the consultation to happen, a technical report is required as well
as the legal report that has already been received. This technical report will
specify which sections of beach are valid and the environmental limitations
that must be imposed. Any consultation must then take place before 90 days
has elapsed. As there are now less than two months before the town council
elections this will not be possible.
In order to ensure that the consultationisn’t forgotten following the elections, it
is being put forward at a plenary session before the end of the current
council’s term of office. This is to try and guarantee that whichever party is
successful at the elections the consultation will be carried out as promised.
Other beaches that had been proposed included Carabineros cove and Cala
de los Trabajos.In the meantime, the prohibition of dogs on beaches in the
area is frequently ignored by local residents and dogs can often be seen on
the sand, particularly during the winter months.
If a public consultation does take place this will be the first time that one has
been held in the history of Torrevieja. It is to be hoped that when it does, it
resolves this long running dispute that has set residents against each other.