The proposed (formerly Nerja) marina has been much in the news of late and can always be guaranteed to generate some form of political debate, recriminations and countless motions, this week being no exception.
The Junta de Andalucia has, apparently, decided that the entire administrative procedure relating to any future marina project has to be started from scratch and has even indicated that Torrox could be a contender for the location of said marina.
The Nerja Councillor for Infrastructure, José Alberto Tomé, has pointed out that a location further into the municipality of Torrox has been discussed, and dismissed, in the past due to environmental concerns.
The Agencia Pública de Puertos de Andalucía (Public Ports Authority) seem to support this view and are reported to be willing to draw up a blueprint for a Nerja Marina once the Ministry of Environment rule unfavourably against locating the facility in Torrox.
The Nerja Information Committee has filed a motion fully supporting the Nerja Council and the Public Ports Authority in their efforts to locate the marina in Nerja. The committee also urges the Junta de Andalucia, as the management responsible for the construction of marinas since 1983, to give the utmost and speedy attention to the Nerja Marina project.
Until recently, it appeared that the marina would be built near Vilches beach on the border with Torrox, but despite various approvals including environmental impact studies, the Junta de Andalucia now has other ideas. One is in the eastern area of Nerja, a site originally proposed, and apparently agreed, back in 1991. Another is between Vilches beach and Calaceite beach in the municipality of Torrox.
It does seem, with all projects having to be started from scratch, the position is no clearer than it was in 1991, possibly even less so. This leads many to believe that there will never actually be a marina.
A marina could work in one of two ways:
Either it becomes a thriving little community taking away business from the town of Nerja, or it becomes like Marinas del Este, an area of empty locales.