Vox calls for heritage status for Les Cases de Queralt amid coastal erosion
The municipal group has filed a motion asking the Valencian Government to begin BIC proceedings — Spain's highest cultural heritage protection — for the historic seafront site on Sagunto's northern shore.
Sand loss and storm damage have reignited debate over the future of Les Cases de Queralt, a historically significant residential complex on the northern coastline of Sagunto. Vox has submitted a motion to the city council plenary requesting that the Valencian Government open proceedings to declare the site a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC — Spain's highest cultural heritage designation, regulated by Law 16/1985). Spokesperson Alejandro Vila Polo pointed to breakwaters built in neighbouring Almenara and to Storm Harry as key drivers of erosion, causing direct damage to seafront homes along the beaches of Almardà, Corinto and Malvarrosa. A key advantage of BIC status is that protective measures take effect automatically from the moment proceedings are opened — not only upon the final formal declaration — meaning any construction or modifications would require prior authorisation from that point. Since it is the Valencian Government, not the municipality, that holds competence to open BIC proceedings, the motion asks Sagunto City Council to contribute technical reports on coastal erosion and work with residents' associations to strengthen the application. Vila argued for structural sediment-retention solutions rather than periodic sand replenishment. According to elperiodicodeaqui.com, the motion will be debated at the next plenary session.