The new ley de Costas will allow chiringuitos to be legal again.
They were banned some years ago, before la crisis , causing the crisis to be even worse than it worse by removing one of Spains main tourist attractions.
The new law will allow beach bars to be installed on rural beaches as long as they are “temporary” (ie, removed at the end of the season) and no larger than 20 square metres, plus an additional 30 square metres for tables and chairs.
Urban beaches will be allowed
more permanent beach bars of up to 150 square metres (up from the 100 currently allowed) plus a maximum of 50 square metres of covered terrace, 70 metres of uncovered terrace and 30 metres of services (showers and toilets).
All are up to townhalls to authorise.
Spain had over 3,000 chiringuitos when the previous law was passed – under it, only 300 would have been legal.
The new law also gets rid of the legal uncertainty surrounding those homes that were supposed to be too near the beach under the old law.
The old ley de costas said that homes near the waterfront would be either demolished or given a lifespan after which they would be knocked down.
The new law still doesn’t allow new buildings near the coast, but has granted those that exist a legal status, which in theory allows them to survive for a further 75 years. So we don’t have to worry about them until 2089, at which point global warming will have made it all moot anyway.
The law also allows owners who properties are threatened by the sea or estuary waters to build flood defenses, and changes the way townhalls can control water flow at these points, which is good news for Vera playa.
The new law is expected to be in force for the summer, allowing townhalls to get a move on and approve these things.