Tom Powell
GREEN groups have praised a decision by the Junta to finally repossess the land on which Spain’s most controversial hotel has been built.
Greenpeace and Ecologistas en Accion have hailed the agreement to return €2.3 million to the developer of the Algarrobico Hotel, in Almeria.
After the money, already paid in licence fees has been returned, it is understood demolition of the illegal hotel can begin.
A spokesman for Ecologistas said: “This is a positive step and shows a change in the politics of the Junta.”
Greenpeace coastal protection specialist Pilar Marcos added: “It’s an intelligent decision.”
Constructor Azata del Sol has been fighting hard to stop the process, which has so far seen an incredible 94% of the hotel built.
While Spain’s High Court has so far issued four decrees against it, builders continued to construct the hotel on the beach inside the stunning Cabo de Gata Natural Park.
The Junta has now slammed the actions of Azata, which refused to voluntarily hand over the building after the land was ruled out of bounds for development.
Dubbed ‘Hotel illegal’ by Greenpeace protesters in 2006, work on the 400-room complex was halted when the Junta claimed licences were sold under an ‘illegal’ contract.
However, a series of u-turns have led to a bizarre contradictory stance by different authorities.
A final ruling by the Supreme Court next month will be the final nail in the coffin for the hotel.
Bet the developers end up with 2.3 million AND a hotel.
The trouble is, these so-called ecologists and greens also rejoice when innocent people have their homes demolished. As usual, they have made plenty of noise but probably haven’t thought of a green way to dispose of all the rubble or how are they going to return the land to its original state. If you look at it logically, it would be more environmentally friendly to complete the hotel than demolish it.
Jane wrote…
“The trouble is, these so-called ecologists and greens also rejoice when innocent people have their” — ILLEGAL — “homes demolished”.
It’s true that misled, and misguided, illegal home owners are indeed victims, but it is a very old, foundational legal tenet that: “Ignorantia juris non excusat”.
“If you look at it logically, it would be more environmentally friendly to complete the hotel than demolish it”
Hmm, what about the future though, when thousands of people use the hotel, bringing their cars, their litter, and expelling sewage waste into the surrounding area? Logically, demolition with proper removal of waste and re-landscaping is preferable.
Alun wrote…
“It’s true that misled, and misguided, illegal home owners are indeed victims, but it is a very old, foundational legal tenet that: “Ignorantia juris non excusat”.
You’re wrong of course, the system established for 25 years allowed these homes to be built – most with full documentation, to the extent of being entered on the Junta’s own registers. There was too much money available from foreigners and locals to resist the temptations which the building spree offered to mayors, builders, lawyers, notaries, agents, etc.
The big question is, why did the Greens and the Junta wait until 300,000 houses had been built to protest and declare them all illegal? Most are as legal as anything in the UK, France, etc.
Alun Whittaker, a legal framework that is not fit for purpose is no defence either and it has been firmly established that the vast majority of people with so called illegal properties are not culpable in any way. These people used reputable Spanish lawyers who carried out the necessary checks at the time of purchase but the building licences for their properties were subsequently revoked.
There was no reason for any of the buyers to doubt the word of their lawyers at the time and after all, they were buying property in Spain not Syria and it is reasonable to expect another EU member state to have a reliable and workable legal system. I can’t think of anywhere else in the EU that has over 300,000 illegally built properties up for demolition and the sheer scale of the problem suggests systematic failure on the part of the Junta de Andalucia.
But don’t take my word for it, I suggest you get in touch with SOHA, AUAN and/or their excellent lawyer who will happily go through the procedures that the victims followed in detail.