Es Trenc beach: Not like this at present. | D.B.

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The official start of the tourism season is 1 May. Unofficially, it has already started and is going strongly. But not everywhere is ready, for example Es Trenc beach. No sun loungers and parasols are yet in place and the chiringuito bars are still closed.

Campos town hall is waiting for the Costas Authority to authorise the lots for sun loungers and bars. These last year brought in 1.2 million euros revenue for the town hall. Mayor Sebastià Sagreras says that, as of yet, the town hall hasn't heard anything.

Last year, the town hall published the tender at the end of March and made its awards on 14 April. The delay this year suggests that the process will take another month to complete. Sagreras is trusting that the Costas will be responding shortly. When the town hall receives the response, it can turn things round in a fortnight.

Something new this year is that everything points to the chiringuitos having to be demountable. At the end of the season, therefore, they have to be removed. An issue relates to current ones with concrete platforms. The town hall doesn't know what the instructions will be for these.

The reason for the delay may well be because of a conflict of responsibility between Madrid (and therefore the Costas) and the regional government over a report into the environmental impact of the chiringuitos. The regional ministry of the environment has received a communication from the Madrid environment ministry in which it says it will not undertake the impact assessment as it is not its responsibility. This is despite the fact that the beach is public domain and therefore ultimately comes under Madrid.