Saturation point? – Development versus conservation on the Catalan coast
The Catalan coast is 580km of sandy beaches, hidden coves and pine forests, but also homes, hotels and everything else needed for people to live and work in coastal towns or spend their holidays by the sea. This week we look at a debate that's raged for decades in Catalonia: the balance between new urban development and conservation along the shore. Agustí Serra, the government's director of urban planning, and Dirk Ewers from International Friends of the Costa Brava talk to Cristina Tomàs White. Gerard Escaich Folch travels to Sitges and speaks to Eduard Terrado, the councilor responsible for urban planning, and Daniel Gracia, manager of Tomás Gracia Constructions. This week's Catalan phrase is 'tela marinera', which literally means 'marine fabric', but can be used to express surprise at the size, cost, difficulty etc. of something. Presented by Lorcan Doherty.