By David Jackson
The regional government has authorised the construction of a beach bar (chiringuito) and shop on the iconic virgin beach of Mónsul, deep within the Cabo de Gata nature park.
Ecologists, residents and the local council are all opposed to the plan, however, which was reportedly never put out to consultation, despite the fact that the beach is one of the most unspoilt coastal areas in the province.
The Mayor of Níjar, Esperanza Pérez, spoke out against the plans, saying they needed to be “looked at afresh”.
She said: “This is an old-style project which does not fit in with the type of non-urban beach management that Níjar is trying to create”. But her council has no say over the matter, which is purely in the hands of the Junta de Andalucía.
The tender, published last week, is the continuation of a beach development plan first mooted in 1995 but later shelved.
