New Benalmádena mayor asked to continue working 'to protect Tivoli land and its continuity as an amusement park'

Not as acting mayor, but as general secretary of the Benalmádena PSOE, Víctor Navas visited Tivoli World on Wednesday this week to acknowledge the effort that his municipal government has put into protecting and fighting for the future of the former amusement park, which closed in 2020.

Navas used the visit to send a message to the new municipal team that will begin to govern the town from this weekend, emphasising the importance of reopening the facility as a leisure centre.

“We ask the new municipal government to use all its political forces to work together in the continuity of the strategy that we have carried out so far to guarantee the protection of Tivoli and its continuity as an amusement park. We need to oppose speculative interests that intend to use the land to build homes or commercial spaces,” the outgoing mayor said.

Navas was alluding to statements made by the recently elected new mayor, Juan Antonio Lara (PP), on a local television programme, during which he said he had opened the door to the possibility of Tivoli reopening as a shopping centre.

“We ask the new council to maintain and give continuity to the strategy on which we have worked during the last three years: the protection of the park land to stop any attempt at urban development,” the socialist declared.

Just two months ago, Navas’ council had blocked any development of the Tívoli land after the refusal of the Tremón Group to reopen it as a theme park.

“I will sign, as acting mayor, an agreement which will provide 100 million euros of liquidity to the town hall. We have also maintained a legal collaboration agreement with the University of Malaga as a measure of pressure. Therefore, the new mayor will have the money and the legal formula in the event that Tremón does not want to negotiate or open the doors of the park,” Navas explained.