Riviera on the brink of collapse

Legal and illegal buildings have spurred around by damaging the coastline image.

Top Channel has monitored the Vlore coastline up to Qeparo, to the border between Vloren and Saranda, and what we saw was unfinished buildings of several stories high, mountains eaten out for the construction materials, and workers coming from every side of Albania.

The Mayor of Himara, Gjergj Goro, says that his municipality has been identifying several illegal buildings during the years.

“We have been identifying illegal buildings, but Himara, different from every other municipality, has its own development plan and every construction that does not fulfill the criteria will be demolished. I warn everyone to not try and invest in constructions that will be razed down, as the Prime Minister designate has declared”, Goro added.

When asked if some legal buildings are in inappropriate places, Goro confirmed that they need to be demolished and create a plan for revitalizing these areas.

“The long political transition and the lack of a development plan has made everyone build according to their own view. There have been inappropriate permits and I think that by developing a plan, we may replace these inappropriate buildings and develop the area properly, so that citizens can see what was ugly and what is beautiful and functional. The law must change and make it a closed cycle, where no one dares to build without a permit”, Goro declared.

The situation in Vlore is different, and the constructions have continued on the hills. The Municipality of this city has stared an action to demolish some of them, and the Mayor says that this operation will continue in the upcoming days. According to Gjika, the electoral promises for legalizing the buildings have created a chaos.

“We have a legal handicap, because the electoral campaigns make people believe that they can build everything they want and it will be legalized. Every constriction is against the development plan and are based on abusive and strange legalization procedures. The idea, desire and determination of Mr.Rama, Prime Minister designate, to have a coastline free of illegal constructions, in order to start a perspective for developing the city of Vlore, should be followed by legal mechanisms that will make room for our interventions and for having a better idea of the development perspective”, Gjika declared.

As for the legal constructions that fall against a future plan, Gjika says that these permits have been given according to the laws in power, but he stated that he was ready to demolish them if the new government creates a plan for the coastline.

Vlora, Dhermi, Jala, livadhi, Himara and Qeparo are considered as magical beaches in Albania that attract each year thousands of local and foreign tourists, who are also obliged to hear the noise of construction machineries that go on relentlessly.

Although the local administrations have been aware for the situation, if not responsible, they feel powerless to intervene, something that the new government has decided to do. The autumn in which Edi Rama has prmised to start this operation comes very soon, and so soon will the next summer come, to see if this new Prime Minister will keep his promise.

Top Channel