Stepping out for grey power - Carvajal Spain

8 SUR IN ENGLISH OCTOBER 2ND TO 8TH 2009
News Axarquía
Illegal property dispute
ends in part demolition
in Macharaviaya
The owner of the
property had been
denied a building
licence back in
2000 but went
ahead with his
plans anyway
EVA GUZMÁN
On Wednesday this week the bulldozers
were brought in to demolish
part of a property which had
started out as a toolshed and had
been enlarged and converted into
a house on land bordering the MA-
3201 Benaque road in
Macharaviaya. The demolition order
had been issued by a Malaga
court and carried out by the provincial
government, however, it is
the owner of the property who will
have to foot the 12,000-euro bill and
pay a fine of 1,800 euros, as well as
return the building to its original
COMING DOWN. DEMOLITION OF THE PROPERTY BEGAN ON WEDNESDAY. E. G.
state.
The Mayor of the village, Antonio
Campos, explained that the
owner of the property, Salvador
Fuentes, had been denied a licence
to build a tool shed back in 2000, but
went ahead with his building plans
regardless. This prompted a neighbour
to put in a complaint a year
later to the regional planning department
referring to the law which
states that there must be at least 25
metres between the road and the
property. Further complaints followed
to both the provincial government
and the Town Hall.
Green group Gena-Ecologistas
en Acción has spoken out in favour
of a complete demolition and says
that they will demand this in court.
Nevertheless, the owner of the
property in question maintains that
he has been paying his housing and
local taxes for the last four years
and that he has been unfairly
treated by his neighbours.