Les Deveses in Madrid on urgent beach repair mission
Residents and holiday home owners travel to demand immediate action
RESIDENTS and holiday home owners on Les Deveses beach are set to travel to Madrid en masse to demand their coastline is rebuilt 'as a matter of urgency'.
Homes suffered major structural damage and entire terraces were washed away when the beach in El Verger – but which is 'owned' by Dénia – was washed away by Hurricane Gloria.
Although the devastation is nothing new for Les Deveses homeowners, the recent storms have been by far the worst in years, if not decades.
Some have moved rocks with their bare hands to build makeshift walls around their houses to stop the sea from wrecking them even further.
Regeneration plans, including building breakwaters to contain the sea and 'sandscaping' with artificial dunes have been talked about for nearly a year, and will cost around €14 million – but as yet, show no signs of being put in place.
Dénia's mayor Vicent Grimalt has promised to accompany homeowners to the capital when they meet with the ministry for energy transition and the environment, led by one of Pedro Sánchez's deputy presidents, Teresa Ribera.
Residents' associations from other Dénia beaches including Les Bassetes, Les Rotes, Estanyó, L'Almadrava – the latter based in Els Poblets but under Dénia's jurisdiction – are also planning to join Grimalt and the Les Deveses owners.
They are also urging Grimalt to mediate between them and the provincial General Directorate of Coasts, known colloquially as 'Costas', which is part of the ministry and responsible for all beach-related works.
At present, complex rules mean Costas will not allow Les Deveses owners to do anything more than put up sand-bags to protect their houses, and that they are even required to show an architect's plans to repair handrails for their steps – then wait for approval, which can take months.
Grimalt said he had intended to go to Madrid about
these and other issues affecting Dénia 'months ago', but as Spain was only under a caretaking government, he knew it would not be able to make any decisions.
Many of the Les Deveses and L'Almadrava homes were built over a century ago and have passed down through generations – but they have never before suffered the level of damage they sustained during the January storms.