Forty Missing Beach Huts and Toilets: The Costly Questions Facing Orihuela Council

The Orihuela City Council in Spain has raised concerns over the disappearance of 40 former beach facilities since they were removed from the town's beaches in 2018. These structures included 11 beach kiosks, seven lifeguard posts, and 22 public toilets, which were meant to be added to the municipal inventory and stored at a council site on Calle Nicolás de Bussi. However, the council has been unable to locate or document where these facilities are now.

Luisa Boné, a councillor for Citizens responsible for Beaches at the time, inquired about the equipment at a council meeting in February but received no response. In September, she received a written statement from the Coastal and Beaches Department stating that they had no record or documentation of the equipment's current location. The exact value of the missing equipment is unclear, but the cost of replacing the seven lifeguard posts alone is estimated at around €150,000.

Boné suspects that the facilities might have been taken to a local landfill along with other materials stored at the site, attributing the disappearance to council negligence. The case is reminiscent of a complaint filed in 2022 by the Partido Popular (PP) party, alleging that two former beach kiosks were used privately. However, the PP could not find any documentation authorizing the kiosks' transfer or rental for private use.

One potential piece of equipment that may still be in use is a lifeguard post at Cala Cerrada, La Zenia, which might be rented out to a local surfing association, though it was not formally authorized by the council. The storage site on Calle Nicolás de Bussi may also be leased to a sports and leisure center using at least two refurbished kiosks as cafés, though the council has not confirmed the lease agreement.