Residents see red over plans
PEOPLE living in an iconic Calpe apartment block designed by the post-modernist architect Ricardo Bofill are angry over plans to have it listed as an asset of cultural interest (BIC).
The community of owners of La Muralla Roja – or 'the red wall' – has complained to the town hall about the lack of consultation with residents over a move that would affect their lives; leaving them as ‘mere spectators’.
The local authority is negotiating with the regional government for the building, along with neighbouring block Edifici Xanadu and in the bay below, the Cala La Manzanera social club, also designed by the internationally renowned Barcelona-based architect, to be given special protection.
And while the process was started some six years ago, residents say they were never consulted, and a letter sent to the town hall in April last year never received a reply.
Instead, householders reacted to news stories about the new moves to have the building declared a BIC, a protected status similar to a listed building in the UK.
As a result, the community has issued a press release through ACEC, Calpe’s cultural and ecological association, which is fighting plans to develop part of the bay's coastline and reopen the social club.
Residents said they wished to ‘publicly state’ at no time did they grant their authorisation to the move to have the building declared a BIC.
“This situation was notified to Calpe town hall by letter dated April 28, 2020, which, to date, has not received any response from the council,” said the statement.
“In this sense, the community of owners wishes to denounce the absolute lack of interest on the part of Calpe town hall in informing and agreeing with the residents of the objectives they have for the building; making them mere spectators in a process that directly affects them and that would involve consequences for their daily life.”
Further, they said although the procedure was first launched six years ago, there was no consultation with the community, the ‘legally authorised entity’ to speak on behalf of residents.
In fact, even before they were declared of special interest people living in the area were suffering ‘absolute torment’ with the influx of tourists to view La Muralla Roja causing insecurity and a lack of privacy.