The first 25 beach bars and restaurants located on Malaga Province’s seafront received their concessions this month after a 5-year delay. Authorities have promised to issue another 177 outstanding concessions by October 2016. For the gastronomy providers, many of them expats, the news couldn’t come too soon.
What’s the Hold-up?
Chirinquitos fronting beaches in Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Torrox and Vélez-Málaga were among the first 25 concessions to be handed out. The concessions for businesses in Benalmádena and Torrox were for new chirinquitos.
The president of the Association for Beach Businesses on the Costa del Sol, Manuel Villafaina, confirmed that the first 25 licences had indeed been granted and the remainder would be issued by this autumn. Good news for anyone thinking of relocating to the Costa del Sol: buying a Marbella home and business is still a dream for many Brits about to retire in the UK.
The dispute between the Junta de Andalucía and business owners had reached a stalemate, until a regional government representative agreed in February to breathe new life into talks and come up with a solution. For five long years, owners of beach bars and restaurants had been unable to make plans without ever being given an adequate reason of why their applications were not being processed, after they had complied with all requested alterations to their applications.
Businesses could not commit to refurbishing their premises or hire more staff, because there was no news, if concessions would be issued and when they could expect them.
According to José Fiscal, the Junta’s environmental chief, a meeting between himself and business owners from across Andalucía went well earlier this month.
“The process will be completed in October,” he said. “We are convinced that chiringuitos are an essential part of tourism and we are putting all our efforts into this matter, which isn’t easy but we’re on the right track.”
Mr Fiscal added that the Junta is adding to their staff numbers in Malaga and Almeria in an attempt to get the concessions for the 400 Andalucía businesses issued without further delay. Of these 400 chirinquitos, 177 are located on the coast of Malaga province.
Manuel Villafaina, meanwhile, said that there is now total understanding and co-operation between business owners and the Junta. “We’ve sat down to talk and there are now completely new teams who are pushing things forward. This opens a new exciting era and we sincerely hope that this is the definitive solution,” he explained.
Risk of Strike Action forced Junta’s Hand
When talks between them and the Junta stalled early this year, chirinquitos’ owners threatened strike action. This year tourism chiefs in Spain expect another record-breaking summer season, with more tourists than ever coming to holiday in Andalucía. The proposed strike forced the Junta to rethink quickly and restart negotiations.
Other Businesses aren’t being hampered by red Tape
While beach-front businesses had to fear for their livelihood over the last five years, Malaga’s mayor was busy opening a new office for a UK business that operates in the wider European flight delay compensation market. Stanton Fisher, a British claims management firm, officially opened its office doors in Malaga a week ago.
The firm’s Malaga office is the first expansion outside the British Isles. Francisco de la Torre, Malaga’s mayor, was present at the opening, with city councillor Maria de Mar Martin Rojo at his side, the latter being responsible for the Area of Economic Recovery. Also present was CEO James Boyd, flown in especially from Stanton Fisher’s HQ in Manchester. He arrived with Chairman Brady Collins to cut the ribbon and officially open the doors to the 600 sqm office space inside the Eurocomsur Building.
“The Malaga office is fundamental in our expansion. We can’t wait to keep on growing and developing more,” enthused Mr Boyd.
Addressing the assembled guests in English, Malaga’s mayor asserted that the city council supported “initiatives like this”, given that they “help to grow competitiveness and employment”.
Exasperated beach bar and restaurant owners could have pointed out that they, too, would have added to Malaga’s competitiveness and employed more staff, had they received their concessions five years ago. With an investment potential in the region of 250 million euros between them, the 400 Andalucía-based businesses could have contributed handsomely to the region’s struggling economy.
So far, Stanton Fisher’s office has employed an initial 19 staff, but there is capacity to create up to 100 new jobs and to expand even more within the Eurocomsur Building in the future.