Although both sides in the dispute remain defiant, the Nerja market traders and the local Council are to meet for talks in an attempt to resolve the issue.
The dispute between the Nerja market traders and the Nerja Council has now been going on for a month, the market traders refusing to set up their stalls for a fourth consecutive Tuesday.
The Council remain adamant that the new site in Almijara is the only option available for the weekly market and that the site is perfectly adequate for the purpose for which it was built. And so it should be, it took long enough to construct and at no small cost.
The Association of Market Traders, AVAM, are equally adamant that the site is totally unsuitable and that the location will seriously harm their livelihoods, referring to the Almijara site as ‘the end of the world’.
Protests on the streets in Nerja each Tuesday have become more tense with each passing week, relations between the protestors and Local Police becoming rather strained. There have even been reports of odd ‘incidents’.
The market traders are currently pursuing their cause through the Administrative Courts in a legal action against the Local Council and have also requested a meeting with the president of the Partido Popular in Andalucía, Javier Arenas.
The Council point out that AVAM has already appealed to the Ombudsman for Andalucía for mediation but are refusing to abide by his decision. The Ombudsman ordered a number of reports to be made, by various official bodies, relating to the new site, all of which came out in favour of the Council.
They also point out that the traders have not yet actually set out their stalls, so how would they know if the new site is too small or not. It is certainly bigger than the old, street site.
At least, though, despite the bickering, both sides have at least agreed to sit down and discuss the matter, which can only be a good thing.