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Date Published: 11/12/2024

Orihuela Costa cracks down on illegal advertising billboards

The council has already started removing adverts throughout Orihuela Costa and issuing steep fines

Orihuela Costa's Local Police have issued a stern warning to businesses using billboards without permission. These enormous hoardings have been illegally erected in more than 20 locations on the coast and are most prevalent along the N-332 as it travels through Playa Flamenca, La Zenia and Cabo Roig.

Dozens of companies across the area are accused of using Orihuela city-owned billboards fraudulently, charging fees for space without authorisation. If your company’s ad appears in any of the photos shared on the Local Police’s Facebook page, it’s time to get in touch with them to understand the next steps.

“The Local Police of Orihuela Costa has detected fraudulent use of the billboards owned by the Orihuela City Council. They are being used without authorisation and it seems that a fee is being charged for this. If you are an advertised company and you appear in any of the following photos, please contact the Local Police, who will tell you what to do,” reads a message posted on social media this week.

The crackdown comes after years of complaints from residents about the unchecked rise of these often unsightly advertising signs. Many businesses in sectors like real estate, construction and tourism have added to the visual clutter, placing signs on public and private land.

Now, Orihuela City Council is making its stance clear, publicly urging companies to remove these signs.

This is not the first time the issue has been raised. In 2022, the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (AVAF) launched an investigation after receiving an anonymous tip-off, revealing a troubling lack of proper licenses for the many billboards scattered along the N-332, which runs through the heart of Orihuela Costa.

The agency found there were far more billboards than official license files, with only three related to authorised installations. And way back in 2014, more than 120 advertising hoardings were removed from the roadside in and around Torrevieja. The area most affected was on the CV-905 which heads north out of town towards Ciudad Quesada and Rojales, especially around the Habaneras shopping centre.

In general though, the city’s response has been slow, and the AVAF has criticised the lack of enforcement. The agency has recommended that Orihuela City Council take stronger action to restore urban planning legality and remove unauthorised billboards, especially in areas with high billboard density like the N-332.

In response, the council has confirmed that it has already started to remove illegal adverts and issuing 400-euro fines for each sign placed on public land without permission. For those on private land, urban planning procedures are underway, including coercive fines and orders to return the areas to their original state.

The City Council is also working on a tender for the management of advertising billboards across the municipality, aiming to regularise the situation and improve urban signage.

Officials argue that the unchecked proliferation of billboards not only harms the aesthetics of Orihuela Costa but also creates unfair competition for businesses that operate legally, while also posing potential risks to drivers and pedestrians.

If you’re an advertiser in Orihuela Costa, now’s the time to check if your business is affected and act accordingly. The City Council is determined to clean up the area, and the penalties for non-compliance could be steep.

In other news: Gardens and parks of the Orihuela Costa will experience new life as the municipal company IIdo take charge in 2025

Images: Ayuntamiento de Orihuela/Policia Local

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