ORIHUELA – Project developers plan to build on a plot of land of 159,000 square metres. This will accomodate almost a thousand homes on the second line of the beach in the southern part of the Costa Blanca. Consequently, environmentalists are angry.
Despite claims to the contrary, the plans do not take into account the conditions imposed two years ago by the Environmental Assessment Committee. It is one of the last pieces of free land in the municipality of Orihuela Costa in the Vega Baja Costa Blanca South. The tender for the project is available for inspection at the municipality for 45 days. According to the Friends of Sierra Escalona (ASE) group, this part of the coast has already been built up. Furthermore, the last free plot has great environmental value.
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It borders the urbanisation ‘Dehesa de Campoamor’ to the north, the municipality of Pilar de la Horadada to the south and the N344 to the west. The only thing that separates this plot from the sea is one of the most polemical urban developments in the municipality to date. It concerns the five buildings of Mil P Vista mar and the residences of Playa Urb Mil Palmeras. These are located directly on the beach in a public maritime domain and were completed exactly when the Ley de Costas, or Coastal Law, came into force in 1988.
During all the years that this part of the Costa Blanca was built, and in particular, between 2005 and 2014, there have been regular protests from the environmental corner. Nevertheless, promoters and the municipality continued to build.
“Complete Nonsense”
ASE wants the zoning of the land to be changed to non-buildable with special protection. Indeed, it forms precisely an ecological corridor between the protected area of the Sierra Escalona and the Dehesa de Campoamor and the sea. In addition, according to Patricova, 6.6 hectares of this area are at risk of flooding. That environmental legislation would be met is “complete nonsense” according to ASE.
