Marina Alta coast residents meet MP
CAMPAIGNERS for northern Marina Alta beach residents are attempting to pile pressure on national authorities over urgent anti-coastal erosion works which have been on hold since 2012.
The Asociación Playas Norte de Denia (north Denia beaches association) chairman, deputy chair and coordinator met with Compromís MP Joan Baldoví in the district capital, saying they are now 'desperate'.
Les Deveses beach in El Verger – which is part of Denia – has all but disappeared, and radical plans to build breakwaters and artificial dunes have not even started.
The level of erosion is ‘terrifying’, they state, and residents fear for the safety of their homes.
Association chairman Juanra Moratal lamented ‘not one single coastal regeneration project’ had been carried out in the area.
What is often reported as 'regeneration' tends to be merely sandscaping, normally just before summer tourism season, and which is washed away with the first of the winter storms.
Sr Baldoví promised he would keep bringing up the coastal restoration project 'every two to three months' in Parliament.
He says he already intended to call for the environment ministry to halt the planned Coastal Law reform, which could worsen the situation for seafront homeowners who had already automatically lost title to their properties due to building being banned along the shore retroactively.
Also, the Compromís party leader for the province will propose new legislation requiring hydro-electric companies to fund beach restoration.
These firms manage the dams which affect river flow and prevent sediment being carried downstream to the delta – a process which keeps beaches regenerated naturally.