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Friday, 11 January 2008 |
First Brits Lose Home
A British couple living in Spain have become the first expatriates to see their home demolished in a move that threatens thousands of properties built on the Costas. Helen and Leonard Prior sold their home in Berkshire and spent £570,000 turning an area of barren scrubland into a villa with heated swimming pool and landscaped gardens. They named it "Tranquilidad" in expectation of how they would spend their retirement. But yesterday, a demolition ball turned their home of the past four years to rubble.
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Thousands more expatriates living on the Costas could see their homes demolished after it emerged the properties - bought in good faith - had been built illegally. Local corruption and the flaunting of planning laws have allowed swathes of the Spanish coastline to be developed during the last decade. Countless Britons have been duped by unscrupulous estate agents, lawyers or property developers into purchasing homes that have been built on green belt land or without proper permission.
 Len and Helen Prior, both 63, moved from Berkshire to Vera, a village near Almeria, on the southern coast of Spain, six years ago, investing their life savings in a £350,000 home. They gained planning permission for their project from the town hall but the regional government of Andalusia insisted that the home had been built on protected greenbelt land and had to be demolished.
Despite threats from the regional authorities, the Priors’ solicitor had repeatedly assured them that their home would be safe. On Wednesday morning, however, a dozen police officers stood guard as a mechanical digger moved in. The couple were given two hours to clear out their belongings before their home was bulldozed.
Last November Spain's socialist government vowed to pull down all illegally built property on 480 miles of Mediterranean coastline. The Priors, who are believed to be the first British couple to have had their villa torn down, say they did everything possible to ensure they had approval to build their home on the outskirts of Vera in the Andalusian province of Almeria.
 "We used a local builder and lawyer and have documentation from the town hall giving us planning permission," said Mrs Prior. She added: "About 18 months ago we were informed that although the local council had approved the building the regional government of Andalusia had not." After seeking legal advice they were told that although their home had been built on designated "rustic land" it would probably be allowed to remain. But on Dec 16 a policeman came to the door with a demolition order.
"Even as late as Tuesday we were reassured by our legal team that the demolition would not go ahead as it was against the Spanish constitution," Mrs Prior said. It was not until Wednesday morning when the water was disconnected followed by the electricity that the couple realised what was going to happen. "We looked outside and saw a team of policemen - about 20 of them all armed - approaching our house alongside a team of lorries and diggers and we knew we had lost our home. We are in shock."
 The couple were given two hours to remove their belongings from the house before the bulldozers moved in. Mr Prior, 63, who has a heart condition, collapsed with the stress of the situation and was taken to hospital before the demolition began.
The couple have been offered three nights in a hotel by the local council and promised compensation. Mrs Prior said: "Quite frankly, until we have the money in our hands we won't believe it."
The Priors have received no compensation from the regional authorities, but plan to pursue a claim through the courts. Another ten homes in the neighbourhood are reported to have been threatened with demolition.
Many villagers watched in horror as the three-bedroom house, which had a swimming pool, was reduced to rubble. “It was absolutely unbelievable,” said a neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous. “Everybody in the area just feels totally sick.” Yesterday the inhabitants of Vera expressed particular outrage at how the Priors’ home was destroyed. “It was the way it was done. To give somebody two hours to get their belongings out – it’s inhumane. It’s not the way things are done,” a neighbour said.
The local mayor, Félix López Caparrós, said that the Priors had fallen victim to a planning dispute between the town hall and the regional government. “We have become the scapegoat in this battle,” he added. He said that the demolition was illegal because the regional authorities had not awaited the verdict of a court appeal. A spokesman for the regional government of Andalusia said that he had no information on the incident.
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