Helen Pierpoint
By Helen Pierpoint
THE battle to knock down the controversial Algarrobico hotel has finally been won as the government announces its plans to demolish the hotel.
The announcement comes as an amnesty has been conceded to several coastal regions of Malaga and Huelva allowing mostly UK homeowners to keep their properties for a further 75 years.
Whereas the 1988 Coast Law threatened their homes with demolition by 2018, the new legislation will allow homeowners to keep and refurbish their homes.
But crucially, this amnesty will not be extended to the 20-storey hotel in Almeria, which was built within 500 yards of the shoreline.
The Spanish Supreme Court recently declared the hotel to be illegal.
And the government even established an antialgarrobicos clause which categorically forbids such construction projects on public or protected areas.
The decision will no doubt be celebrated by Greenpeace activists who have staged occupations on the site for years.
However locals, who have been rallying around to save the hotel insisting it would cause up to 300 job opportunities, continue to oppose the decision.
Now comes the appeal lol.
So far so good but it’s still there!
Can’t wait to see this eyesore demolished.
Huge resentment by Spanish in Carboneras, as this is seen by many of the poor and unemployed here, as rich foreigners forcing their views and beliefs onto this little community. The Hotel was seen as a way to raise both the economic and unemployment situation in the town. There are people still washing their cloths in springs here with home made soap. Many of the protesters have no idea of the poverty here. So enjoy your next meal and remember there are people here who won’t have one. Very sad.
@Bridget
Yes it is a shame that the people are suffering there but I’ll bet my next meal to theirs that the local politicians will be eating better than either of us.
It’s the blinkered avaricious short-termism that is destroying the Costas. Large numbers of people just don’t want to holiday in huge concrete resorts any more like they used to in decades past even if they had the money to do it. Which they don’t.
Building more eyesore unsustainable developments is not the solution it’s just a short term stop gap which cannot possibly work. Once the next building goes up what then? Another? And another? Ad infinitum? Until there is nothing left except a concrete collar with insufficient infrastructure around a poisoned sewage filled Mediterranean Sea? It’s the rich foreigners that they want to come and spend their money here.
The holiday makers are part of the solution and greedy developers and idiot, corrupt politicians the problem. We need politicians who’ll fight for a better educated more employable electorate with a vision for the future. Not political scoundrels who want to keep the donkey voters in their place.
I’ll watch the news for reports of people dying of starvation in Carboneras…
Illegal, garbage like this should ALL go the route of Demolition. Otherwise there is NO accountability for building IL-legally…. anywhere.
As to claims …”Demolition of this hotel would COST 300 jobs” – pure BS,PR. That stupid claim is about as economically valid as ” building this small regional airport 100 km from a major city airport, will achieve 100 “self-sustaining” jobs. HAH!
A shame we don’t have a political system with PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY so business-deficient dumbos who make such claims, pay for the results… personally. Things would change
While i agree wholehearedly that illegal building is bringing down the economy, and bent politians, regulators, townhalls, etc are going to destroy the world before our eyes, i cant help noticing this is a unfortunate example of wrong doing.
The hotel looks very nice – as hotels go!
The ‘countryside’ around it is awful. Only Mother nature herself could love this patch of dirt.
So lets stick to facts about not benefiting the economy, and stop the sillyness about eyesores.
Duh of the week comment?