Residents against Marenostrum Fuengirola: ‘ Sohail castle is not for sale!’

On the one hand, they have sent a letter to the bidders warning them that "the current model for the operation of Sohail castle" – at the foot of which the Marenostrum site is located – has for years been "causing growing conflict amongst local residents". They have also launched a petition on the platform Change.org against the "privatisation" of this monument, declared a site of cultural interest (BIC) in 1978, and which is also home to the archaeological site of the Roman City of Suel. “Sohail Castle is not for sale! No to privatisation for mega-concerts. Yes to the protection of our heritage, the environment and public use,” state the headline and subheading of the poster designed for the Change.org campaign, which has so far gathered 1,164 verified signatures.

“We are not against concerts and this petition is not intended to put an end to music, culture or events in Fuengirola,” the residents said. “What we object to is an intensive and disproportionate model that turns a historic monument, an archaeological site and a public park into a huge commercial venue for up to half a year, every year, for twelve years,” they added. They are thus referring to the fact that the contract put out to tender by Fuengirola council (under which it will receive an annual fee of just 6,000 euros) allows the venue to be used without setting a maximum number of concerts (only a minimum of 25 per year), without limiting the number of consecutive events or the number per week, and allowing music to continue until 2 am on the eve of public holidays

In their letter to the companies, local residents pointed out that "what was originally presented as a one-off programme has turned into an intensive and prolonged occupation of the site, with serious consequences for their quality of life and peace and quiet". "The gradual increase in the number of events, the length of the season and the set-up and dismantling periods has reached clearly disproportionate levels". The result of this is that “local residents are subjected for weeks or months to noise from concerts, sound checks, technical installations, set-up and dismantling work, and the movement of vehicles and machinery”, so “during many events, it is impossible to relax normally in their homes”.

The residents pointed out to the companies that this is not just a noise problem, but also a mobility issue. “During major events, there are massive traffic jams, blocked access to homes and housing estates, illegal parking, encroachment on residential areas, difficulties for residents getting in and out, obstacles for public and emergency services, accumulation of rubbish and disturbances to public order.” They added that on some days “mobility throughout the area is practically paralysed”.

For residents of the Miramar area and the neighbourhood around Sohail castle, the tender "confirms" that the town hall, to whom they have already repeatedly voiced their complaints, “has no intention of rectifying the scheme, but rather of consolidating and extending it without first addressing the problems it has caused”, which, they claim, “has further fuelled residents’ outrage”.

As regards heritage, they argue that "in the case of a site of cultural interest, the priority must be conservation, research and public access. It must never be the operational schedule of a private business". They also expressed concern that no limits have been set on aspects such as the levels of vibration that historic structures can withstand, anchor points or maximum loads in each area, and that no obligation has been established to carry out external audits to assess the condition of the heritage site once each annual event has ended.

They therefore believe that "one-off concerts, provided they are appropriate and compatible with the surroundings, can enrich the town’s cultural life". The also believe that Sohail castle “can host smaller-scale cultural activities, historical re-enactments, archaeological tours, exhibitions, acoustic concerts, educational activities and events that respect its heritage status”, but not large-scale performances.