Yzabelle Bostyn
GREEN groups are coming closer to celebrating a two decade battle against one of the worst environmental abuses in Spanish history.
Ecologistas en Accion and Greenpeace – along with the Olive Press – have been campaigning against the enormous El Algarrobico hotel built on a virgin beach in a protected green zone in Andalucia for 20 years.
Now it is set to be finally demolished within the next few months, after an agreement between the government and Carboneras town hall, in Almeria.
The work will be led by Madrid while the Junta will take care of the residue and restore the land to how it was.
“We will be able to start the demolition and return this illegally developed area to the locals and to nature within six months,” said Environment Minister Catalina Garcia.
Construction on the 411-room monstrosity – dubbed ‘El Horrible’ by the Olive Press – was started in the Cabo de Gata Nature Natural Park, in 2003.
It came after planners at Carboneras town hall illegally altered zoning rules to allow a developer, Azata del Sol, to begin work.
The project had first got planning permission in the 1980s before the area had been officially included in the park.
Numerous protests fell on deaf ears until activists daubed the hotel ‘illegal’ in giant letters, and turned it into an international environmental story.
Andalucia’s High Court now needs to ratify the decision to officially declare the land ‘non developable’.
The court has also opened a period of suggestions from local environmental groups, including Salvemos Mojacar, which was heavily involved in fighting the scheme.
They will have some say in how best to restore the area.
