Eloise HorsfieldTHE Algarrobico hotel is an ‘aberration’ and must be knocked down.
This is the view of Spain’s IU party, after a group of Almeria town halls banded together to get the illegal hotel opened.
The group of 16 town halls (15 from the PP party) insist the 411-room monstrosity built on a beach in Cabo de Gata Natural Park would create an estimated 300 jobs.
“Whether we like it or not, the hotel is pretty much finished,” said Alcontar mayor Antonio Ramon Salas.
“I think the benefits of opening it would be shared across Almeria and help establish quality tourism in the region.”
He also claimed that demolition would cause an even bigger environmental impact than leaving it.
However, IU deputy Ascension de las Heras dismissed the claim as wrong.
She said that while job creation is an ‘absolute priority’, these jobs must be ‘socially useful and secure’.
“The Algarrobico is an aberration, one of the biggest on the Spanish coastline,” she said. “It must come down.”
She added that the organised demolition and recuperation of the natural space it is built on ‘would bring many more jobs than continuing with this project,’.
Meanwhile Junta Environment councillor Luis Planas has made his position clear.
“The Junta’s position on this subject is unchanged,” he said.
“From an environmental point of view it is not acceptable, and legally speaking judicial proceedings are still active.”
Indeed, Andalucia’s High Court has ruled the special protection of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.
This revokes a law passed by the Junta in 2008 and hopefully will bring demolition one step closer.
This whole story is an interesting experiment and living proof that no society can function without following basic rules to the letter ……….
How can Spain supposedly a “European” country have more then xxx of thousands of illegal homes build up in the last decade ?
How can Spain supposedly a “European” country have more then xxx of pending lawsuits on a perpetual waiting list for corruption, bribery, embezzlement, fraud etc etc ?
How can Spain supposedly a “European” country have more then 25% (50% in young people) unemployed and not 1 (one) capable leader anywhere in sight who even has the first idea of how to tackle the problem ?
(btw. there are more then 450 000 politicians in Spain – twice as much as Italy who has way too many)
etc. etc etc ………..
That will be another 1/2 a million on the doll when Germany takes control of the country, Greece has 4 times govenment workers than Germany,another place in financial trouble
Get together the functionarios, the mayors and the businessmen who spread around the money that allowed this to happen. Put them in the hotel.
Demolish it.
Can anyone point me to, or confirm, the original PERMISSION given for this building project, please?
It seems a local authority gave a bona fide license to build.
I cannot see any SANE developer proceeding without that license, at least. If they did, and had no official license they are idiots and I would enjoy pulling it down myself.
If the higher regional authorities have changed the law, over ruling the local authority – how can this LEGALLY affect the builder? And if it does, the developer must have recourse to the local authority who said, officially, through a notary, no doubt, fees paid all round:
BUILD HERE!
That license would not have said:
BUILD HERE AT YOUR PERIL!
(The fact that Notaries are now rendered BLAMELESS, under new legislation, is also interesting)
If this is the case that the local authority issued a bona fide license, the European Court would surely over rule any demolition order/decision, wouldn’t it? I open that up for debate.
Eyesore or not and blemish on the environment is not my beef – the principle of an authority saying BUILD and another saying:
WHATEVER THEY SAID! is illegal BECAUSE WE SAY SO!
beats me if it is allowed in any civilised European country!
In Mallorca the junta authorities decided that 50 year leases issued to Marinas must be rescinded for 30 year ones – 20 years AFTER they were issued. (?Reasons – Marinas making too much money, perhaps. Gov wanted better terms – and sooner.
Marina Berth Holders clubbed together to fight this illegal act – changing the terms of a lease retrospectively – in a European Court suit.
Now, the government has changed its mind!! Surprise, surprise! Dropped their case!
Like the thousands of home owners threatened with demolition – in my opinion the local authority was the LOSER and at fault – having been defrauded by their own officers issuing fraudulent licenses to build. Buyers of those homes bought in good faith and had legal licenses. They should/could not be the loser – the authority was defrauded – not the buyer (whether the developer was involved is neither here nor there)
It is no surprise that many of those demolition orders have now been rescinded.
All of them should be – if fraudulent licenses were issued by their own officers. This could never happen in any country taking due care. Since FRAUD is not at all uncommon in Spain – how come nobody noticed these thousands of chimneys on the horizon – in the green belt?!
1) Its a good looking hotel – better than most.
2) Its built in a desolate wasteland of desert with no beauty whatsoever, next to a crappy gravel beach. it may be a natinal park, but lets not kid ourselves of what looks good!
3) Its Spain. So it probably was built without any legal papers whatsoever.
4) Its Spain. No one will ever be held responcible for this fiasco. Mark my words.