No 1072 Tuesday 22nd - Sunday 27th April 2025
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The Costa Blanca’s oldest ‘FREE’ English language newspaper - WITH THE LARGEST LOCAL CIRCULATION
C A B O R O I G WA L K WAY R E O P E N I N G CONFIRMED AFTER €3 MILLION LAND DISPUTE SETTLED FOR JUST €26K
T
he long-running dispute over the Cabo Roig coastal walkway has finally been resolved, clearing the way for its reopening this summer — and at a fraction of the cost originally demanded by landowners.
The Provincial Expropriation Board has set the final compensation at e26,180, significantly lower than the e3 million initially sought. In 2024, Orihuela City Council had budgeted e600,000 to cover expropriation and related works; the final settlement frees up substantial funds for future infrastructure projects. The contested 227 square metres of land, crucial for restoring pedestrian access between Aguamarina and La Caleta, had been at the centre of a bitter legal and financial battle. Landowners first claimed e3 million before reducing their demand to e1.2 million. In contrast, municipal appraisers valued the land at approximately e70,000. With no agreement reached, the matter was referred to the Provincial Expropriation Board, which issued the final valuation last week. The affected properties include: 142 square metres owned collectively by 52 residents, whose claims dropped from e2 million to around e170,000, and 85 square metres held by Cabo Roig S.A. initially valued at e1 million. Following the Board’s decision, Orihuela Council has requested the e26,180 from the municipal Treasury to deposit the compensation and initiate the occupation process. The walkway is expected to reopen in time for the summer tourist season. A PROTRACTED LEGAL BATTLE The dispute dates back to 2013, when residents of the Bellavista residential complex constructed a wall along the cliffside path, blocking public access. Though initially demolished by city workers with court approval, subsequent legal challenges reversed the decision. In 2016, a court ruled the path was not formally part of the public domain, ordering the City to rebuild the wall. The City, then under the PP (Partido Popular), did not appeal the ruling, making it final. However, they continued appealing parts of its execution. In May 2017, the Provincial Coastal Service stated that the Aguamarina land is subject to a right of way, meaning the 52 residential owners could not legally close it.
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