The Ramón de Campoamor civic centre in Lomas de Cabo Roig has faced significant structural issues since its completion in 2011. The initial signs of cracks escalated into larger fractures throughout the building, prompting concerns about its safety. Despite being in community use for ten years, the facility never received a ‘Certificate of Occupation.’
The Orihuela Council’s surveyor now estimates that approximately 300,000 euros would be needed for necessary repairs to make the civic centre safe for future use. The closure of the building resulted in the expulsion of Orihuela Costa Community Care and other local community groups. Some groups were forced to shut down, coinciding with the early stages of the pandemic.
The construction of the Ramón de Campoamor centre was awarded to Mettas SL in 2010 for 650,159.29 euros, with completion in November 2011. The issues began to surface in January 2019 when subsidence was detected, leading to the eviction of users in December of that year. Despite the council architect’s call for urgent action, no repairs were made six months later.
In February 2021, the council opened a complaint against Mettas, insisting they correct the defects, but this proved unsuccessful. As of three years later, the current PP-Vox council has not clarified its intentions regarding the civic centre’s future. Meanwhile, the PSOE has urged the government team to explain why the complaint against the company has not been resolved. Carolina Gracia of the PSOE believes that the company can still be held accountable for resolving the building’s problems.