Guardamar’s Historic Babilonia Beach Homes finally lose Protection

The Constitutional Court of Spain has lifted a suspension on the protection of historic beachfront homes at Babilonia Beach in Guardamar del Segura, removing the main legal safeguards for the structures. Around 80 out of the approximately 80 homes on the beach are currently facing planned demolition. The Spanish government had challenged the Valencian Coastal Law, arguing that it encroached on national jurisdiction over coastal areas and coastal public land.

The court has yet to determine the constitutionality of Article 17 of the Valencian Coastal Law, which enabled the regional government to designate traditional coastal buildings of cultural, historical, or ethnological importance and initiate conservation plans. The court accepted the Spanish government's claim that temporarily reinstating Article 17 could cause significant and potentially irreversible harm to coastal land and the environment.

The demolition orders, which had been approved, will now proceed as the Valencian government cannot rely on Article 17 to protect the historic beachfront homes.