Torrevieja Town Council has entered into administrative court proceedings following a legal challenge by two private individuals claiming ownership of a vast area of green space in Las Torretas, situated next to the Torrevieja lagoon.
The dispute arose after the local authority moved to register land in the municipal inventory that had been designated for mandatory transfer during the original development of the estate. According to Federico Alarcón, a member of the local governing board, the land was never registered at the time despite belonging to the council.
The local governing board agreed to take the necessary legal action to defend municipal interests. This step follows the rejection of an appeal filed by the individuals against the decision to register the property. The council maintains that the 146,744 square metre area was set aside as green space during the urbanization process by the original developer, Manoli S.A. (MASA), over 40 years ago.
The council’s stance is that the lack of initial registration does not alter the public ownership of the land. Alarcón stressed that while the green space was not registered under the council’s name at the time, this omission does not mean the land was not ceded. The municipality has now formally added the plots to its inventory via a mayoral decree under the free and mandatory transfer framework for public amenities.
The total affected area spans 14.6 hectares. The location of the specific plot remains somewhat unclear, as no other single green space in Las Torretas matches this size. The only comparable public area corresponds to the C-2 agreement site at Punta la Víbora, where the local government has promised reurbanisation works, including a green space next to the abandoned mud baths building.
Alarcón suggested the possibility that the original developer may have subsequently sold these land parcels to private buyers, despite their designation as green space subject to municipal transfer, though this detail has not been formally confirmed.