THE council of a coastal Spanish town favoured by expats has been slammed with complaints after a new leisure centre blocked sea views.
And their solution to the controversy has only added fuel to the fire.
A giant canvas replacing the real sea view after a giant wall blocked residents’ line of sightNewsflash
Sun-soaked Torrevieja is an expat paradiseSolarpix
A resident looks out at his new viewNewsflash
Torrevieja, southeast Spain, is home to a bumper number of Brit and Irish expats attracted to the blue waters and sunshine.
It’s even been branded “Costa del Yorkshire” in a nod to the amount of sun-seekers who have moved from the historic county.
But dreamy sea views hit a snag with the construction of a new sports centre providing an obstacle for locals in a block of flats in La Mata.
Views of the sunny coast were suddenly replaced by a thick concrete wall, sparking a flurry of furious complaints.
In response, the Torrevieja City Council ticked off an ingenious idea – a giant, 1,000-square-metre painting on the wall illustrating fake views of the beach.
The high-tech mural is also equipped with a special chemical promising to remove bad odours, bacteria and air pollution.
But locals claimed the mural covered even more of their view than what was originally blocked by the wall.
Town Hall hit back, saying anyone who lives behind the site knew about plans to build the sports centre before buying their properties.
The local authority added it had no choice but to build there given they owned the slice of land.
In a positive development, residents can now head to the leisure centre for staple Spanish dish paella – served in a giant Yorkshire pudding.
The council last year revealed it designated more than £4.2m to the sport complex, saying it was being “highly demanded by the people of Mata”.
Indoor football, volleyball, handball, basketball and badminton had all been earmarked for the centre, as well as space to host cultural and social events.
A local Spanish news site quoted mayor Eduardo Dolon claiming the council had been ” in contact with these neighbours” from “the first day”.
Appearing to take a flippant tone, he also joked: “They (the residents) are happy because they have sports facilities just a stone’s throw away and many of them are athletes.”
According to the local council, Torrevieja recently reached a population of 100,000.
Nearly 5,000 of those are Brits, according to the authority.
The town, just southwest of Alicante, is also enjoyed by Ukrainians (more than 7,000) and Russians (almost 6,000).
The population is split 50/50 between Spanish-born and expat residents, according to data.
Price comparison site ‘Which?’ says it is the cheapest coastal town in Spain, with an average room priced at £77 per night.
It’s just a 40-minute drive from Alicante airport.
Locals in the block of flats behind it were outragedNewsflash
This mural was commissioned as a response to complaintsNewsflash
Although it is a sea view, it blocks even more space, angry residents sayNewsflash