President of AUAN receives honorary MBE

AS ANNOUNCED in July of this year, Maura Hillen, President of AUAN (Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora No – No to Urban Planning Abuse in Almanzora) and a local councillor for Albox, was appointed as an honorary Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE), for services to the British community in Spain.

On Thursday October 20, Simon Manley the British Ambassador to Spain together with other representatives of the British government, local politicians, family and friends gathered at Hospederia Virgen del Saliente in Albox, Almeria where the MBE was presented to Mrs Hillen.

In keeping with the rules concerning the presentation of such awards, this is an honorary MBE as she is an Irish citizen, but the work that she has done to promote the interests of local residents – many of whom are British – who purchased in good faith illegally built properties is being recognised and the untiring work of her Association is said to have led to a change in Spanish property law.