Residents of Costa del Sol town threaten legal action over 9-million-euro electricity substation

A group of residents and living near the site of a planned electricity substation in the Torrox Park residential area of Torrox-Costa on the eastern stretch of the Costa del Sol are raising funds to take further legal action after Malaga’s Public Prosecutor's Office shelved the complaint, filed in 2023, in April this year.

Now the group, which includes residents and the parents and teachers association (Ampas) of nearby schools, is preparing a new appeal to try to stop the work, which is financed by electricty supply company Endesa, being carried out.

President of the group Antonio Ruiz explained to SUR that the lawyers they have hired are working on the appeal based on the alleged irregularities they have detected in the processing of the project that led to the building permit being granted by Torrox town hall. In addition, As part of the new appeal, lawyers will include proof that in the lead-up to the 2023 local elections, local politicians promised to look for an alternative site for the substation.

“The families affected feel deceived because all the steps of the project have been deliberately concealed so that they could not present objections within the legal deadlines,” Ruiz said, adding: “During all that time they told us that the substation would not be in that location, they even agreed to look for another location in a council meeting agreement, which is a political procedure that guarantees compliance with what was agreed”. He went on to say, “How could we have submitted objections if we didn't know what they were doing? That is a violation of our right to defend ourselves.”

The project to build a new electricity substation at a cost of nine million euros is currently under way. According to Ruiz, the project isn’t “complying with what was promised” by the town hall and mayor, Óscar Medina. Nor is there “zero visual impact, nor undergrounding, nor a favourable report from the UMA [University of Malaga].”

The group has set up a special bank account to raise money for the fight and they have the financial support of a number of local businesses. “If anyone wants to join you can contribute with Bizum: +34 636 40 73 69 or transfer to: ES75 1465 0100 9217 6198 8208,” explained Ruiz, who said that there has been “a total lack of transparency and respect for the rights of the residents of Torrox. We know that there are still two years to go before it comes into operation, because they have to make many checks and tests.”

Ruiz explained that, in addition to the substation in the Torrox Park area, the undergrounding of several high and medium voltage lines, which are very close to El Faro primary school and hundreds of homes, is pending. Ruiz highlighted “the risks” to health of the proximity of the new substation, power lines and a transformer located next to the school.

Sources from Torrox town hall have declined to respond to this new legal action being taken by the citizens’ group. Medina said in April that the town hall will continue to demand from Endesa that “the radiation be zero when the substation comes into operation” in 2025, after an investment of nine million euros by the electricity company.

His political party argues that the substation is of “fundamental importance” for the town to enable new urban developments and avoid power cuts.