The presence of camper-vans parked in unauthorised areas is angering residents in some parts of Sitges.
This is the case of the Neighbourhood Association of la Plana Aedas, beside the alternative parking lot on Manuel Torrens street, in the area of La Plana, who have protested after a year of living with all the disturbance caused by the permanent settlement of camper-vans that has not been authorised by the Town Hall.
Among the complaints, they speak of unhealthy conditions caused by those who live in the caravans and who, according to the neighbours, relieve themselves outdoors in full view, along with the presence of items of furniture as if in a campsite, clothes hanging on lines and even artificial grass that some have put on what they consider their space.
They also notified the Local Police about bonfires being lit to make barbecues, with the resulting risk of larger fires. They also claimed that those living in the camper-vans take their water from public fountains – in a time of drought – and use the litter bins and trash containers to throw away their waste and old furniture, without paying local taxes or even being registered as residents.
After many calls to the Local Police and a few meetings with local councillors, the neighbours have complained that for now all of this is still being allowed and no-one has offered any solution. Actually, the only parking lot in Sitges prepared for camper-vans and legalised by the town hall is in the area of Les Pruelles, with a charge of €8 per day from April to October and €5 per day between November and March. This is also why the neighbours are so against the current situation. For instance, they also said: ‘The weekend of the vintage car rally, we counted 40 camper-vans parked here. The visitors who came to enjoy the vintage cars had nowhere to park.’
This problem also affects other parts of Sitges such as Terramar and Vinyet, especially on Cristóbal Colón Street, which runs alongside the Jardins de Terramar. During Semana Santa, many camper-vans were parked there near the sea, where the parking ban on such vehicles is clearly indicated.
In the case of the La Plana parking lot, it is intended for cars, given the lack of parking space in the centre of town. With all that is happening, the neighbours state that they had a meeting with Mayor Aurora Carbonell. The Town Hall and Local Police are on the case and are committed to finding answers to a problem that, for some neighbourhoods, has been going on for too long and which they claim forces them to live with some unpleasant conditions.
This report appeared in L’Eco in Catalan on 12 April and within the English pages on 19 April. Since the report was first published, a petition has been launched on Change.org by the camper-van owners using the parking lot.
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