Plans for a new luxury hotel on the beachfront of Marbella’s prestigious Golden Mile have sparked a local backlash.
The opposition is coming from environmental campaigners Ecologistas Malaka, who claim the development could breach Spain’s Coastal Law.
The activists are demanding the project at El Ancon beach be halted over concerns about its size, location and potential exposure to coastal flooding.
The proposed hotel would be built directly on the seafront and rise to approximately 16 metres, comprising a ground floor plus four additional storeys.
Campaigners claim this would be three times the maximum height permitted in the area.
They argue the building would dramatically alter the character of Marbella’s coastline and ‘break the human scale of the seafront’.
Coastal Law concerns
The group has raised a series of objections to the development, including allegations that part of the project encroaches upon the protection easement of Spain’s Maritime-Terrestrial Public Domain.
If confirmed, they argue this would put the development in conflict with Spain’s Coastal Law (Ley de Costas).
Campaigners also claim the plans fail to adequately assess the risk of coastal flooding or the longer-term effects of climate change and rising sea levels.
Another point of contention concerns the amount of land being provided as public green space.
Ecologistas Malaka claims this amounts to just 19% of the development and is insufficient, while arguing the project would interrupt the continuity of an ecological corridor running along the coastline.
Does Marbella need another hotel?
Campaigners have also questioned the public interest in allowing another major hotel development in Marbella.
Ecologistas Malaka estimates that the town already has around 18,000 hotel beds, excluding the enormous number of places available through tourist apartments and holiday rentals.
Several other major hotel projects are also progressing through the planning process in the municipality, including the long-awaited Four Seasons Marbella.
The group said in a statement: ‘The proposed building would comprise a ground floor plus four upper floors (around 14–16 metres high), tripling the maximum height permitted in the area (ground floor plus one) and disrupting the human scale of the seafront.
‘The project encroaches on the protection easement of the Maritime-Terrestrial Public Domain, which breaches Spain’s Coastal Law.
‘There has been no assessment of the risk of coastal flooding (ARPSIs), nor of the impact of climate change and rising sea levels.
‘The amount of land to be transferred for public green space is insufficient (just 19%) and breaks the continuity of the coastal ecological corridor.
‘There is no justification on public-interest grounds: Marbella already has 18,000 hotel beds and further hotel projects are currently being processed in the area.
‘Ecologistas en Accion is calling for the project to be rejected, for the maximum height to be reduced to ground floor plus two upper floors, and for all construction to be completely excluded from the coastal protection easement.’
Beach club controversy
The hotel is not the only development around El Ancon facing opposition.
Ecologistas Malaka, the PSOE and Izquierda Unida (IU) are also opposing plans for Marbella Town Hall to make two municipally owned plots beside El Ancon beach available for the construction of a beach club.
The proposed venue would be linked to a luxury residential development being built in the area.
Opponents object to public land being handed over for a project associated with a private luxury development.
The Spanish Eye has contacted Marbella town hall for comment.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
