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Brits in Spain fighting hotel development inches from their house walls
| Published: | 28 Sep at 6 PM |
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A British expat couple living in Andalusia are furiously angry after a new three storey hotel's back wall was built just inches from their home.
John and Lori Hillman along with other expat residents in their community are seeking legal advice as they believe the construction of the hotel breaks local environmental laws due to its height and its blocking of all sunlight from their property as well as ruining their beautiful views . The hotel’s three storey back wall is literally inches from the properties, and no-one in the community was told about the development before it started. In addition, the construction company has tried unsuccessfully to cap and cement over a well located in what will be the hotel’s car park, resulting in the site being regularly flooded with toxic water.
The couple, who’ve lived in Zahara de los Atunes near Cadiz for three decades and alternate their time between Spain and the UK, are furious that the polluted water is inundating the dunes backing the beach as well as killing all the vegetation. Increasing number of residents on the development are now angry at the scale of the damage and the fact that the local environmental department are failing to act. Worse still, the first time the couple realised the project was under way was when, early one morning, they were woken by the noise of a JCB attempting to pull their large tree out by the roots and hitting the back patio wall.
John and Lori as well as many other residents are also furious they were not allowed the legal 20-day period to complain about the new development. The group has now taken legal advice and have launched a petition which has attracted 1,600 signatures to date. Spain is at present in trouble with the EU for its failure to comply with an EU rule related to sewage and its treatments.
John and Lori Hillman along with other expat residents in their community are seeking legal advice as they believe the construction of the hotel breaks local environmental laws due to its height and its blocking of all sunlight from their property as well as ruining their beautiful views . The hotel’s three storey back wall is literally inches from the properties, and no-one in the community was told about the development before it started. In addition, the construction company has tried unsuccessfully to cap and cement over a well located in what will be the hotel’s car park, resulting in the site being regularly flooded with toxic water.
The couple, who’ve lived in Zahara de los Atunes near Cadiz for three decades and alternate their time between Spain and the UK, are furious that the polluted water is inundating the dunes backing the beach as well as killing all the vegetation. Increasing number of residents on the development are now angry at the scale of the damage and the fact that the local environmental department are failing to act. Worse still, the first time the couple realised the project was under way was when, early one morning, they were woken by the noise of a JCB attempting to pull their large tree out by the roots and hitting the back patio wall.
John and Lori as well as many other residents are also furious they were not allowed the legal 20-day period to complain about the new development. The group has now taken legal advice and have launched a petition which has attracted 1,600 signatures to date. Spain is at present in trouble with the EU for its failure to comply with an EU rule related to sewage and its treatments.
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