The hundreds of people who pass daily along the pedestrian path in front of the Bella Vista urbanization in Cabo Roig are currently unable to do so, and despite the City Council’s commitment to reopen the Aguamarina walkway for the summer season, following it’s compulsory purchase of the land, the new Orihuela council announced during last Thursday’s Plenary Session that it would not be possible, with the deputy mayor, José Aix, blaming the Partido Popular for not carrying out the correct procedure.
Aix, who is also the Councillor for Heritage, was responding to a question raised by the Cabo Roig y Lomas Neighborhood Association.
Last December, the Council closed the paseo, in compliance with a court ruling, forcing those wishing to move between the two points, a distance of approximately 60 metres, to make a detour of two kilometers to get to the beach.
Shortly after the walkway was closed, the previous Councillor for Heritage, Rafael Almagro (PP), announced that based on the general interest, the administration had the option of expropriation, stating that the matter would be resolved and it would be reopened before the summer.
For this reason, the neighborhood organization asked Aix if that commitment would be met, to which the deputy mayor said that his intention is to “reopen it as soon as possible.” However, he said that it would be impossible to meet a summer deadline, in that the procedure has not been moved forward by the previous administration.
We must remember that he, of course, was a part of that previous administration, in which he also served as the deputy mayor, and in which he and his Ciudadanos colleagues voted against a CLARO/Cambiemos motion decrying the paseo’s closure. Now, however, he seems to have joined the increasing number of politicians who are not averse to performing a U-turn.
Beforehand, Almagro had told the Spanish press that there had been a number of meetings with the community of Bella Vista owners, but without any positive results.
The residents of the Bella Vista urbanisation built a wall in 2013 to close the path, running along the top of the cliff face, directly in front of the gardens of their homes. In 2015 the former Town Planning Councillor, Antonio Zapata (PSOE), ordered its demolition, a procedure that the court declared illegal. Hence, to comply with that court order, the Council was forced to restore the wall to its original state, and the walkway was closed again last December.
Unfortunately, many holidaymakers are still not aware that the walkway is closed, and day after day family groups can be seen walking from La Regia and Aguamarina, down Calle Agua, fully ladened with their chairs and sunbeds, and usually with their children in tow. As they walk through the unfinished Aguamarina Park that are greeted by the walled off promenade, forcing them to turn around and in the oft blistering heat, walk back along the route that they have previously travelled.
A simple signboard, strategically placed at the top of Calle Agua, stating that the paseo is closed would at least save them that anguish. So come on Orihuela council, you have failed them with the wall and the promenade, a signboard the very least that you can do!
