Residents and BNG march to defend Silgar promenade’s balustrade from planned changes

The fight in Sanxenxo is about a railing — but not really just a railing. It is about the stone balustrade along Silgar promenade, one of the town’s most recognizable images, and whether a safety upgrade will quietly change the place people think they know. That argument spilled into the street on Friday, May 8, when residents and BNG activists formed a human chain along the seafront to defend it. More than 200 people joined in, which is a lot for a dispute over what the local government insists is only a technical modification. ### What happened on Friday? The protest started at the Rosa dos Ventos and ran toward the mirador at the end of the promenade. The BNG organized it, but the turnout went beyond party regulars — neighborhood groups and other residents showed up too. The slogans were blunt: keep the stone, reject stainless steel, and stop touching what many people see as part of Sanxenxo’s identity. (pontevedraviva.com) ### Why are people so attached to this balustrade? Because in Sanxenxo, the railing is basically part of the town’s family album. Opposition figures have described it as the backdrop in generations of beach photos, and that gets at the real point. This is not some hidden piece of infrastructure. It frames Silgar beach — one of the best-known waterfronts in the Rías Baixas — so even a partial redesign feels, to critics, like rewriting the postcard. (lavozdegalicia.es) ### What is the town actually planning? The disputed works cover the final 120 meters of the promenade, from Rosalía de Castro to punta Vicaño or the mirador area. They sit inside a broader accessibility project for Silgar with a total budget of €396,850, with the Xunta contributing €200,000. The wider plan includes a platform-style street level, new paving, and other public-space improvements. (lavozdegalicia.es) ### So why did this blow up? Because the paperwork and the politics are saying different things. The contracting file cited by opponents says the stone railing will be removed and replaced with a new stainless-steel one. But Mayor Telmo Martín has publicly called that interpretation a “bulo” — basically, a hoax or false rumor — and says the granite will stay in place. That contradiction is the whole story. (lavozdegalicia.es) ### What is the mayor’s version? Martín says the town is not demolishing the balustrade. His explanation is that the existing stone structure must be adapted to current safety rules because the drop to the beach in that section runs from more than 6 meters to as much as 9 meters. The fix, he says, is to add stainless-steel bars between the openings and a top handrail so the barrier reaches the required 1.10 meters. (pontevedraviva.com) ### Why don’t opponents buy that? Because they are looking at the tender language, not the mayor’s later clarifications. The BNG says the official documents are explicit and that any real commitment to preserve the stone should be written into the project, not just said at a press appearance. The local PSOE is softer in tone, but it is also asking for a review and more consensus before the work goes ahead. (lavozdegalicia.es) ### Is this only about heritage? No — the catch is that the safety case is real. Even opponents generally accept that the end of the promenade needs to meet accessibility and protection standards. The argument is over method. Critics say there are ways to raise or reinforce the barrier without changing its character. The government says the stainless-steel addition is exactly that compromise. (pontevedraviva.com) ### What happens now? For now, the project has turned into Sanxenxo’s loudest local dispute of the spring. A residents’ platform has asked to see the full file, the PSOE wants the mayor’s promise reflected formally, and the BNG is trying to keep public pressure high before construction starts. If the town proceeds without changing the paperwork, this argument is not ending at the human chain. (pontevedraviva.com) The bottom line is simple: one side sees a necessary safety retrofit, the other sees a landmark being altered by stealth. And in a beach town built on image, memory, and tourism, that is enough to turn a balustrade into a political test. (pontevedraviva.com)