The Ley de Costa was written in 1988 and is a national law but has not been implemented to any great extent in those 21 years.Recently it has gained more prominence ,maybe due to EU pressure and there is now a greater interest in its application to structures along the coast.
There are those who question why this has come about recently and cynics may say that it diverts the worries of many from the economic crisis.Many have the same cynical view about swine flu and the concerns in the press and media generally.If this law is implemented then it will have some consequences for numerous structures that exist along the Spanish coastline.There has been so little interest in its implementation as one can very easily see if one looks along this coastline.People seem to build wherever they choose.
The aim of the law it appears is to determine,protect and police the use of the land called the area of maritime and terrestrial public domain that immediately borders the coastline.If a registrar of land suspects that a property invades this area then he has to inform the national administration and the property will not be registered until the whole issue has been investigated.
Establishments which invade the beaches during the summer are now in danger of being banned.However they are now trying to circumnavigate the law by ensuring that these buildings can be removed for most of the year as beaches are not intended for private use.
Those who have property within this strip of land and can prove that they were built before this law came into being can apply for a right of occupation and can use the public domain.They can acquire concessions of up to 60 years.Some of these buildings will have to be demolished in the public interest if authorisation is not acquired.Many seafront owners could be affected.A problem with the law is that planning law is local and coastal law is national and the central government is often different in political persuasion to the local one–so there will be big problems to overcome here.
