Marbella increases budget to repair storm damaged coast

Marbella town hall has announced that it has had to increase its budget by 220,000 euros to repair the damage caused by the recent storms. A week ago 450,000 euros were announced, but this has now risen to 670,000 euros after the problems caused by the inclement weather have multiplied.

"Already on 22 March we took stock of the approximate costs that we had to allocate to solve the damage caused by the storm," recalled Diego López, councillor for public works. "Incidents have increased due to the storm this weekend," he said.

As such, a work plan has been put in place to replace sand on the most affected beaches, repair the damage caused on the promenade, showers and toilets. 100,000 cubic metres of sand will be taken from Nagüeles and El Cable beaches and the mouth of Río Verde.

The most affected beach over the past weekend was Alicate, which is in addition to Casablanca, La Fontanilla, El Faro, La Venus, San Pedro Alcántara and Nueva Andalucía which were affected by previous storms.

Furthermore, over 7,000 metres of electrical conduits have been damaged along the promenade, causing several power cuts. Lópex explained that the replacement of the street lighting is expected to cost in the region of 99,000 euros and the paving from Puente Romano to Don Pepe has been given a budget of 105,000 euros.

There are plans to move toilet and changing room facilities, as well as fifteen lifeguard towers and various shower modules which have also been damaged.

Work was due to start on Tuesday 29 March, with a view to it being finished on Friday 8 April, in time for Easter week, "to have the beaches in the best possible condition." However, López highlighted the transport strike and said that the progress of the repair works "absolutely depends on this.

The transport of sand, cement, breakwaters, sand, machinery, the material necessary for any type of electrical improvement, everything," he listed and went on to say that there are around public works projects currently delayed in Marbella and that another five cannot begin due to the strike.

López stressed that "none of this would have happened if our beaches had breakwaters. We have to bear in mind that from last November until now the investment made by the town hall to alleviate the damage caused by different storms amounts to 1,770,000 euros," he concluded.

The lack of breakwaters on Marbella’s beaches is a long-running controversy, which has led to the creation of the Marbella for its beaches platform, which brings together associations, businesses and residents to put pressure on the town hall to speed up the breakwater projects planned for Marbella and San Pedro.