"We will not allow them to run over us": tension between Dénia and the Ministry over urban development of access to the port

Given the "haste and unusual interest" of the Department of Territory to develop access to the port through a Special Plan, the governing team of the City Council of Dénia has responded that "we are already working on the Partial Plan for the Platja-Torrecremada sector", which, in addition to urban development, includes the execution of the road (previously known as the 'northern ring road'), according to the Councilor for Territory, Mr. Josep Ripoll.

Dénia City Council is already working on the Partial Plan for the development of access to the port

Following the last meeting held with the General Directorate on 18 December, in which the municipal proposal to sign a collaboration protocol between administrations was rejected, "we now receive a communication in which it is assumed that the Ministry will draft a Special Plan, above the will and interests of the city council, which precisely since 2023 finally has a valid General Plan that defines the model of city we want," Ripoll said.

Specifically, for the Platja-Torrecremada sector, an area of ​​434.783 square metres, where the council owns a significant part of the land, the current planning establishes a building capacity of between four and five floors, depending on the area. "The plans of the Regional Ministry involve doubling this figure, when in fact, by law, the Generalitat should assume the cost and execution of access to the port, limiting itself only to the road infrastructure, without intervening in the urban development," warned the councillor.

In fact, Ripoll insisted, "if the Ministry wants to do its part and build the road, that's fine with us."

Concern about flooding

For his part, the deputy mayor Rafa Carrió He explained that, in addition to "the obvious invasion of powers, there are more reasons to oppose what the Ministry is proposing." Among them, he highlighted the flooding of the area, which requires specific studies on which the council is already working, and the reservation of land for Official Protection Housing, which, by law, must be at least 30%, although the intention of the council is "to build as many as possible."

"Our General Structural Plan already provides for the Partial Plan to develop the sector and access to the port in terms of urban planning, so it is not acceptable to break our planning and undo our city model, also financially committing the city council to the transfer of municipal land and all this at the cost of increasing the building capacity," Carrió insisted.

Finally, the mayor Vicent Grimalt He recalled that "we are open to working on this issue with all the landowners and, of course, with the Ministry, but we will not allow them to run roughshod over us without taking into account the interests of the city and its government."

He also stressed that "if we have a General Plan it is because it was approved at the time by the Ministry itself and that document sets out the rules for developing access to the port."