We speak out over the unlawful occupation of Harinas Cloquell

1 July 2026

An abandoned and occupied public building

We have submitted another letter to Alicante City Council to alert it to the unlawful occupation of the council-owned Harinas Cloquell building in Benalúa Sur.

This publicly owned, nominally protected building should have had plans for public use long ago. Its neglected condition is now very serious and once again requires urgent action.

We had already raised concerns in a registered submission and at a full council meeting about carcinogenic material in the fibre-cement roof sheets. The unlawful occupation adds another problem, with potential risks to safety, sanitation and community relations for the area and its residents.

Harinas Cloquell needs action

We believe Harinas Cloquell cannot remain another deferred promise. The building became municipal property following development in Benalúa Sur. The council is directly responsible for preserving it, securing it properly and ensuring that it does not become a source of risk for the neighbourhood.

Residents had already warned that neglect and ineffective security made occupation likely. People coming and going, open windows, clothes hung out to dry and belongings inside now show that the deterioration goes beyond appearances. It affects safety, community relations and the physical safety of anyone entering the building, any workers who may have to intervene and nearby homes.

The fibre-cement roof makes the situation more serious. We stress that the material contains asbestos and is well past its service life. In an abandoned and deteriorating building it can release dangerous fibres. The situation calls for a safe technical and public health response by a specialist company, with all safeguards in place.

Secure the building, remove asbestos and put it to public use

We propose three concrete steps. First, begin the legal process to evict the occupants and, once the building is recovered, brick up the entrances and secure it properly. Second, have an approved company draw up and carry out an urgent plan to remove asbestos from the roof. Third, commission a technical and cost study to restore Harinas Cloquell as a public facility.

We also maintain that the building could become a cultural and educational asset for Alicante: a museum, music conservatoire, art and design school or another public facility that saves a piece of Alicante’s industrial architecture and helps revitalise Benalúa Sur.

During the 2023 local election campaign, the building was presented as a possible home for a future City of Music. Three years later, residents report a very different reality: neglect, dirt, rats, fibre cement and unlawful occupation in a building that should serve the city. We demand that the council turn announcements into action and give Harinas Cloquell the cultural and public future the neighbourhood deserves.

The council announces eviction and closure

On 2 July 2026, Alicante Plaza reported a first response from the council to residents’ concerns. According to the outlet, local police went to the building and found three or four people inside.

Julio Calero, the councillor for safety, said the occupants had been given 48 hours to leave. He also said the Infrastructure Department was arranging to brick up access points to prevent further entry as a reversible measure pending a decision on the building’s future.

We welcome action on the immediate problem, while stressing that securing the building is only part of the solution. Harinas Cloquell also needs safe work on the fibre-cement roof and a clear public decision about restoration and future public use.

Media coverage

• Información reports on occupation of the old mills in Alicante’s Benalúa Sur neighbourhood
• Alicante Plaza reports on Parque del Mar residents raising concerns over the ‘unlawful occupation’ of Harinas Cloquell
• Alicante Plaza reports on Alicante’s plans to evict occupants and secure the Benalúa mills

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