Cartagena Mayoress backs calls for Mar Menor building moratorium

Reports that Cartagena is lobbying for the CHS to expropriate Bahía Bella

While the regional government continues to draw up its new law to protect the marine environment in the Mar Menor the Town Hall of Cartagena, led by Mayoress Ana Belén Castejón, has added its voice to those calling for a complete ban on new construction activity around the lagoon, advocating a strict ban on all building except on consolidated urban land.

Sra Castejón states that she has been requesting an integral plan for the whole Mar Menor for two years on the grounds that the situation in the Mar Menor is “unsustainable”, and that although such a sweeping ban would inevitably be objected to in some quarters it is a necessity that is should be included in the new “Ley Integral del Mar Menor”. She also calls for the “urban regeneration” of towns on the shore of the Mar Menor including Los Urrutias and Los Nietos, where buildings are deteriorating and losing value and grants for restoration work are needed.

The Town Hall also proposes that strict regulations be enforced on agricultural licences in the Campo de Cartagena and that ecological farming techniques be actively encouraged, and, interestingly, that the CHS water infrastructures administration body should embark on a project to recover all natural water courses and floodwater channels leading to the Mar Menor, including the Ramblas of La Carrasquilla, El Beal and Ponce.

On this topic, in the regional newspaper La Verdad it is reported that Sra Castejón is proposing that the CHS should expropriate the Bahía Bella residential development, where 600 homes have been built next to the Rambla del Albujón alongside the boundary between the municipalities of Cartagena and Los Alcázares, with the aim of reducing the risk of more flooding like that which occurred as a result of the severe “gota fría” storm this September.

Bahía Bella is one of those developments whose legal status is far from clear. According to La Verdad the Town Hall describes it as “an illegal urbanization on unconsolidated urban land” and recommends that “buildings which are in areas susceptible to flooding should be recovered and included in the Public Hydraulic Domain” by the CHS at its own coast. The alternative, which would be to “legalize” the buildings concerned, is described as not viable due to the risk of flooding being an “insurmountable” obstacle.

The situation of homeowners in Bahía Bella is also one of legal limbo. Building licences and land segregation documents were never approved for most of their homes although they do pay council taxes, and the risks of their location were underlined when many had to be evacuated their homes during the gota fría on 13^th September. In the course of the following weeks many complained that efforts to clear the mud and flood debris were less concerted in the development than in other areas, adding to long-standing complaints regarding rubbish collection, street lighting and street cleaning services.

To add to the complexity of the situation, residents allege in their defence that although the proper licences for their homes were never issued the development was built before the Rambla del Albujón was diverted closer to the built-up area, but the Town Hall’s counter-claim is that the area was already classified as being at risk of flooding.

Town Hall sources are reported to be adamant that the Mayoress is keen to be absolutely sure that there is no way to protect Bahía Bella against flooding before the area is expropriated and will therefore request a detailed report from the CHS. However, if that report confirms that the risk cannot be eliminated then expropriation is the only option available.

Other consequences of the proposed ban on new building projects would include the proposed development in Vivero, that of Las Lomas in Mar de Cristal and the Novo Carthago resort, which is currently halted but which the promoters are reported to be keen to revive. The implications for other areas such as Perla de Levante and Estrella de Mar in Los Urrutias are not fully clear.

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