21 Jul, 2010 @ 09:58
1 min read
1

Green victory in Spain

A COMPANY that has started work on a controversial hotel before even getting planning permission is facing a fine of up to 2.4 million euros.

Círculo Agroambiental SL is being taken to court by the Junta after it began work on the 50-room hotel in Campilla de Gata, in the Cabo de Gata-Níjar natural park.

The Junta considers the arrival of heavy machinery to start clearing the land a grave infringement.

Works were halted voluntarily after company employees and workers were issued with writs from Seprona, the Guardia Civil’s environmental arm.

Curiously, no such moves were taken over the nearby illegal Algorrobico hotel, which was almost finished before works were stopped.

The same situation has taken place in Ronda, where developers behind the controversial Los Merinos golf project spent millions on land clearance before getting definitive permission.

Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)

Jon Clarke is a Londoner who worked at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday as an investigative journalist before moving to Spain in 2003 where he helped set up the Olive Press.

After studying Geography at Manchester University he fell in love with Spain during a two-year stint teaching English in Madrid.

On returning to London, he studied journalism and landed his first job at the weekly Informer newspaper in Teddington, covering hundreds of stories in areas including Hounslow, Richmond and Harrow.

This led on to work at the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Mirror, Standard and even the Sun, before he landed his first full time job at the Daily Mail.

After a year on the Newsdesk he worked as a Showbiz correspondent covering mostly music, including the rise of the Spice Girls, the rivalry between Oasis and Blur and interviewed many famous musicians such as Joe Strummer and Ray Manzarak, as well as Peter Gabriel and Bjorn from Abba on his own private island.

After a year as the News Editor at the UK’s largest-selling magazine Now, he returned to work as an investigative journalist in Features at the Mail on Sunday.

As well as tracking down Jimi Hendrix’ sole living heir in Sweden, while there he also helped lead the initial investigation into Prince Andrew’s seedy links to Jeffrey Epstein during three trips to America.

He had dozens of exclusive stories, while his travel writing took him to Jamaica, Brazil and Belarus.

He is the author of three books; Costa Killer, Dining Secrets of Andalucia and My Search for Madeleine.

Contact jon@theolivepress.es

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