The Spanish actor Antonio Banderas has bid farewell to one of his most famous properties after losing all appeals to prevent the demolition of 'La Gaviota', a villa with a large garden because it is in a protected area, according to the Spanish magazine Lecturas.
The story goes back to the urban development mismanagement of Marbella's then-mayor, Jesús Gil y Gil. In the 1990s, these plots of land near Los Monteros beach were downgraded as public land to make them eligible for development. In 1995, the famous radio and television journalist Encarna Sánchez built the villa, and after her death, Antonio Banderas bought the property in 1996.
Since then, legal actions against the property have not stopped, moving from one court to another over the last 28 years. The property's building permit, granted before it was owned by the actor, was annulled by the courts in 2003.
Andalusia's High Court of Justice (TSJA) annulled the 1995 municipal permit. The actor appealed the judgement, which was dismissed by the same court in 2008.
Meanwhile, in 2010, the Marbella General Urban Plan legalised the house, but it also reached the Supreme Court.
Moreover, in 2014, an agreement was reached with the city council whereby the Hollywood star gave up more than 1,200 m2 of the garden to extend the area's seafront promenade. But the legal battle has continued and finally, the courts have decided to demolish the building.
In 2015, the High Court annulled Marbella's Urban Plan, suspending its legality along with thousands of other irregular homes, and since then this situation has continued. Finally, the actor has decided to demolish the house.
