The Town Hall has ordered the immediate closure of a bar on El Playazo beach and has started proceedings to fine the owners €80,000 in relation to violation of the PGOU.
The bar, located next to the boatyard, only opened in August but has now ceased trading.
The problem is administrative. Although El Playazo beach is considered an area for tourist development under the POTA (Plan de Ordenación del Territorio de la Axarquía), the local Nerja PGOU (Plan General de Ordenación Urbana) has not yet been adapted and therefore, currently, the land remains classified as agricultural and as a result, any construction constitutes an offence.
A similar situation occurred last year when someone opened a camper van parking area at the end of the beach in violation of the PGOU and was swiftly closed down by the local authorities. The facilities were deemed incompatible with land classification ‘protected rural land’.