I do not post on here as a depressive, or soley just to moan. However I do think people should know how much corruption there is going on before they agree to part with their savings.  Had we known that what the Mayor was allowing was illegal and would lead to trouble with the Regional Government we would not have parted with our hard earned savings.  We did not come as suggested 'with rose tinted glasses' but a lot of people that are living here do not know or understand that they are living in illegal dwellings and at any time could have a demolition order on them. 
We still live in the UK but when in Spain we lead a quite life, looking after the land and would not knowingly do anything to upset any of the Catalan people as it is their country and we should respect their way of life. The majority of the Catalans are very nice polite and helpful people.   
Yes the weather is better than the UK, the roads are quieter, the pace of life is slower and I think it is a very beautiful area around the Ebro region.
Unfortunately a minority of our countrymen have caused trouble in the villages, being drunk, fighting etc,  therefore we can understand that some of the Catalan people have tarred us all with the same brush and would prefer the English to go home.  But this does not change the fact that the local farmers were quite happy to go along with what the Mayor was allowing even though they knew it was illegal and that has brought some undesirables into their villages.