Eastern Costa del Sol town hall vows not to expropriate homes for visitors centre near historic castle

The deputy mayor of Torre del Mar, Jesús Carlos Pérez Atencia has assured homeowners living near the eastern Costa del Sol town's historic castle that no homes will be expropriated without prior agreement with their owners, as plans to restore the castle advance.

Atencia said that it was a "commitment" which, he argued, is not only political but also administrative and documented and which refutes the allegations made by opposition Andalucía por Sí councillor, José Pino, who he accused of "causing alarm among residents with information that does not correspond to reality" by stating that the expropriations are going ahead.

Pérez Atencia went to Plaza de la Axarquía, where the old castle is located, to meet directly with residents, following reports by Pino about an alleged imminent expropriation of homes. The councillor appeared with official notes from the town hall to prove that the proceedings referred to by the opposition have been halted and that the current municipal government, made up of the Partido Popular (PP) and GIPMTM independent Torre del Mar group, has expressly requested that the expropriation route be removed from the planning process.

"The town hall will not purchase any homes without prior agreement with their owners. It has not expropriated, will not expropriate and does not intend to do so," said Pérez Atencia, who described the statements made by Andalucía por Sí as "unjustified alarmism".

One of the documents provided is an internal memo dated 16 December 2025, signed by the Torre del Mar Mayor's Office and addressed to the town planning department, formally requesting that, in the ongoing review of the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU), the SLT-5 classification, which provided for the acquisition of the properties by expropriation, be removed. The letter argues that, "after more than thirty years without any development of this provision and given the social sensitivity of the area, expropriation is not considered necessary to protect and recover the area of the old castle".

The second document, an internal memo from the strategic projects department, dated 21 October 2025, also certifies the suspension of the expropriation proceedings for the affected properties (file 21/2025-PLAN), following the disagreement expressed by the owners. The text expressly requests that the procedure be halted for a new study of the fair price of the properties affected, which, as Pérez Atencia emphasised, renders any compulsory action null and void.

The deputy mayor pointed out that the area surrounding the castle is also protected as a site of cultural interest (BIC) and defended the municipal strategy of urban regeneration and improvement of public spaces, rather than the expulsion of residents. In this context, he highlighted the planned paving, sanitation and comprehensive redevelopment of the area.

He also reiterated that the future Torre del Mar Castle visitors centre will be located in a building already owned by the town hall, which was acquired from the Larios family and will not affect any of the inhabited houses in the surrounding area. The project includes the renovation of the building, audiovisual content and cultural activities, with money coming from European funds.

Pérez Atencia announced new meetings with the owners directly affected and with all the residents of the area, insisting that there will be no progress without prior agreement, and once again attacked the opposition for "trying to generate fear where there are documents, dialogue and guarantees".

The deputy mayor concluded by reiterating his commitment to meeting with all the residents in the area and making it clear that "no steps will be taken without prior agreement with the owners" and appealed for trust in the town hall's management of the project.