The Ministry for Ecological Transition has halted emergency works to recover Benijo beach, closed since July 2024. Canarias defends its authority and challenges the State to resort to the courts.
Benijo beach, in the Anaga massif (Tenerife), will remain closed for bathing. The Ministry for Ecological Transition, through the General Directorate of Coasts, has suspended the emergency works that the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council had planned to carry out to recover this beach, which has been closed since July 8, 2024, due to rockfalls on the access slope.
The central government issued an unfavourable report in which it considers that the emergency declaration approved by the City Council and supported by the General Directorate of Coasts of the Government of Canarias is not sufficiently justified. The document, which this newspaper has accessed, states that "the emergency or urgency situation is not adequately evidenced" and that the documentation provided "is insufficient and does not meet the required technical and administrative standards."
Furthermore, the state report warns that the works would affect a natural stretch of beach located in an area of special environmental protection and that there is no adequate assessment of the impacts on protected spaces. For all these reasons, the Ministry nullifies the regional order and urges that public access remain closed until appropriate measures are taken.
The halt comes after the Santa Cruz City Council approved an emergency project in May to reduce the risk of rockfalls, with a budget of 2.15 million euros provided by the Tourism Department of the Government of Canarias. The project, developed by Wara Ingeniería, already had the approval of regional Coasts.
Antonio Acosta, General Director of Coasts of the Government of Canarias, has defended the legality of the regional authorization and has challenged the State to go to court. "The competencies in this regard have been transferred to Canarias, and although the State now requests to annul the works, the resolution issued by the regional government remains in force. Therefore, the Santa Cruz City Council can carry out the work," Acosta stated.
"If the central government wants to impose its criteria over that of Canarias, then it should go to court, as until a court orders otherwise, the planned action in Benijo will be carried out," the general director concluded. He also added that "we defend the need for works to ensure the safety of users, both in access and in enjoying the public domain."
The mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Bermúdez, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the State's decision. "Coasts, from Madrid, is once again blocking viable and possible solutions for the Chicharrero coastline, as this resolution makes it impossible to open the beach for bathing despite the City Council being willing to allocate financial resources and the project itself to do so as soon as possible," the mayor criticized.
Bermúdez has announced that he will request a meeting with the Government of Canarias "to discuss the next steps to take and finally make progress in recovering this bathing area of Santa Cruz."
For his part, the first deputy mayor and councillor for Public Services, Carlos Tarife, has described the state report as a "blatant attack by the PSOE on Santa Cruz" and has not ruled out calling for a neighbourhood demonstration in Anaga to pressure Coasts. "I consider it a blatant attack by the PSOE on Santa Cruz, and for that reason, we are willing to do anything, including a demonstration of all the residents of Anaga to make Coasts stop opposing any project of the municipality," Tarife declared.
The State argues that Benijo beach is not declared as a bathing area and that the project lacks the favourable report from the Cabildo of Tenerife, which manages the space included in the Natura 2000 Network. There is also no environmental assessment, according to the report, which emphasizes that "unless the urgency of the works is legally evidenced, the reason would solely be to allow the use of the beach, which does not constitute an emergency situation."
Benijo beach, one of the most emblematic on the northern coast of Tenerife, has been closed for almost two years. The lack of agreement between administrations delays its reopening and leaves the fate of the 2.15 million euros already allocated for the works in limbo.
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