Torrevieja City Council has initiated procedures to remove two steps at the main entrance of a pharmacy on Ramón Gallud Street that encroach on the public right-of-way. Following years of requests, appeals, and successive fines without the property owner carrying out the ordered demolition, the administration will undertake the removal itself using municipal resources or a contracted company. The decree provisionally sets the cost at €10,387, which will be charged to the property owner.
The resolution, dated August 10th, 2026, is signed by the councillor in charge of urban planning. The property owner intends to contest the action through legal channels. Their lawyer, Juan Chapapría, confirms that a statement of objections has been filed and expects the dispute to reach the administrative court. “We’re going to court,” the lawyer states, expressing confidence that the court will provisionally maintain the current situation given that it involves access to a pharmacy.
The defence argues that the solution proposed by the City Council impacts the establishment’s operation. According to Chapapría, an alternative entrance on Joaquín Chapaprieta Street does not meet the necessary conditions to replace the main entrance regarding accessibility and fire evacuation. The lawyer questions the severity of the municipal action over steps that have remained in place for years, comparing it to other infractions in Torrevieja. While acknowledging that the steps protrude beyond the building line and occupy public space, the defence criticises the administrative process that has led to inspections, fines, and a subsidiary enforcement action valued at over €10,000.
The lawyer highlights what he considers an injustice compared to other situations in Torrevieja, noting that the steps date back to the pharmacy’s original design and predate its acquisition by the current owner. Conversely, municipal services maintain that the structure occupies public land without authorisation and cannot be legalised, adding that level differences could be resolved within the premises.
The urban planning procedure formally began on June 10th, 2022, following a local police report and a municipal architect’s assessment, which stemmed from a private citizen’s complaint. In September 2022, the Urban Planning Department proposed demolition. A subsequent request by the pharmacy for a concession to maintain the steps on public land was rejected by the Local Governing Board on December 2nd, 2022, with a formal demolition order issued on January 5th, 2023. Five coercive fines were subsequently imposed between June 2023 and March 2025. The conflict escalated after the property owner applied for a remodelling permit in 2020, which prompted the Urban Planning Department to flag the unauthorised occupation of public land.
Other Articles
