Staff Reporter
A CONTROVERSIAL 26-storey skyscraper project planned for Torrevieja faces the threat of prosecution from the Ministry of Ecological Transition, with residents likely footing the compensation bill.
The incumbent city council rejected a request on Friday from the group to annul the agreement allowing the construction of two tower blocks in Doña Sinforosa Park, right on the sea-front overlooking the marina.
But with environmental ‘coastal laws’ being broken, the Baraka Group project may still be prosecuted by the ministry.
If so, it is reported that the council will have to pay millions of euros in compensation to the developer out of public funds.
Mayor Eduardo Dolón approved the plans in December 2021, after two rounds of public consultation.
However, the technical secretary general of the Coastal Service, Jacobo Martín, insists that the project represents, “a clear architectural screen with an environmental impact contrary to the defence of a public area.”
IMAGE: Torrevieja.com
He also reminded the council that the environmental reports are binding, contrary to what Torrevieja authorities are insisting.
Left-wing opposition parties claim that coastal building should not exceed seven storeys, but Dolón countered with the fact that the project had been validated by their own party during their tenure in power between 2015 and 2019.
Arguments and counterarguments continued with some referring to regional laws passed as far back as 1988, allowing for such coastal developments.
Opposition parties criticised Dolón for going back over forty years to try and justify the towers, which they claim will lead to the “destruction” of Doña Sinforosa’s gardens.
The mayor did assure those at Friday’s plenary session that catalogued trees will be preserved, but it’s not clear whether all eucalyptus trees have been recorded.
If it transpires that Torrevieja has granted a building licence and the Coastal Service wins the appeal in court, the developer will have no choice but to claim millions of euros in compensation from the City Council.
