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Cartagena council seals 81 illegal homes at Villas Caravaning campsite in La Manga
The municipal action has been justified by a legal ruling that comes following years of safety concerns at Villas Caravaning
The City Council of Cartagena will move forward this Monday, May 26, with the sealing of 81 prefabricated homes and communal buildings at the Villas Caravaning campsite in Playa Honda, following a favourable court ruling. According to municipal sources, the action comes after years of legal disputes and mounting safety concerns at the site, which is operated by the French company Capfun.
The affected properties include mobile homes that have been installed without proper licences and shared facilities that the Town Planning Department previously declared in a state of ruin. These include toilets and showers, which inspectors deemed an imminent risk to users. The activity at the site was officially suspended in May 2022, and the local authorities had already issued notices requiring operations to cease.
Despite attempts by some residents to obtain precautionary court orders to halt the action, their requests have been denied, clearing the way for municipal technicians to carry out the sealing this Monday.
The City Council has also confirmed that the enforcement will be accompanied by a new legal case against the site’s owner, Capfun, reminding them of their legal obligation to end activity across all facilities.
Concerns among the estimated 600 full-time residents living at the campsite, many of whom are foreign nationals, have grown in recent days amid mixed messages from within the community. One of the campsite’s two neighbourhood associations warned of an imminent full closure, while the other, along with Capfun itself, rejected that claim. The council has confirmed that it does not currently intend to shut down the site entirely and there will be no scenes of people being pulled off site kicking and screaming.
Cartagena’s Councillor for Infrastructure, Diego Ortega, said, “It should be remembered that there are several reports drawn up by the municipal technicians of the City Council which warn that these facilities are dangerous because they do not comply with fire regulations, as well as not complying with town planning regulations.”
This latest move marks a turning point in a long-standing dispute. The council initially suspended operations at Villas Caravaning following technical inspections prompted by two separate fires in 2021 and 2022. The reports identified multiple critical issues, including serious deficiencies in the electrical infrastructure, insufficient access for emergency vehicles and a lack of effective fire safety systems, as well as an inadequate water supply and sanitation.
Councillor Ortega continued, “The campsite has a closure order, it has the obligation to cease activity and the Town Hall has the obligation to ensure the safety of people.”
Only the facilities that have nobody in them have been sealed.
“We have not gone to evict anyone,” he assured. “The main reason for this action by the City Council is safety. The company tried to prevent the sealing, but a judge has authorised the City Council to intervene in these facilities that are outside the law.”
Talks between Capfun and the council appear to have collapsed in recent days, prompting the local authority to press ahead with enforcement measures. For many families living at the campsite, the prospect of inspections and potential evictions has caused deep concern, particularly among those who consider the site their permanent home.
Communal toilets, children’s playgrounds, sports fields, a restaurant and supermarket are all located in the areas affected by the closure.
Image: Felipe G. Pagán/Ayuntamiento de Cartagena
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