The anticipated demolition of beach houses at Babilonia in Guardamar del Segura has been postponed due to the absence of the necessary machinery. As of now, work has commenced to mark electric and telephone posts for cabling removal, conducted by the firm Cauce, which has been contracted by sixty local residents. However, the company has recently received a deluge of requests for a suspension of the demolition, with fifty impacted residents asking for a delay in hopes that the Generalitat’s request for provisional suspension to the Ministry for Ecological Transition will be addressed.

The local council has issued the required permissions for street closures lasting three months, as well as the building license to carry out the demolitions of long-expired concessions. A notary visited on Monday to certify that the firm has complied with the contract signed with residents who obtained project approval from the local council. This initiative aims to avoid the situation where the administration would perform the demolitions and subsequently bill the concessionaires, potentially incurs a higher cost.

Prior to commencing the demolition, various preparatory works are required, including removing cabling from the façades and erecting fencing. Residents are adamant that the demolition process is illegal until the administrative procedures are resolved by the conselleria. The Valencia Generalitat, via the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage, has decided to provisionally suspend any intervention that could threaten the potential heritage values at the Babilonia beach residential area.

The Coastal Law of the Valencia Community, effective since fifteen June, establishes special criteria for traditional coastal nuclei, marking them as significant cultural elements closely associated with the region’s maritime façade. According to the Consell, the loss of these structures would represent an ‘irreparable disadvantage’ to the locality’s heritage. Additionally, the Department of Environment, Infrastructure and Territory has sent allegations to the ministry to halt the demolition, stressing the lack of communication regarding the administrative resolution supporting the action. Last week, the Alicante Provincial Council also approved a motion requesting the suspension of the demolitions.