Builders and a bank are set to make a killing as prime seafront land to the east of Quarteira soon will become one big building site as another luxury tourist development is constructed in the region's 'dash for cash' which is leaving sane and responsible planning laws in its wake.
The charming lagoon area surrounded with mature pines has long been a nature-lover’s paradise with flora and fauna in abundance but greed again has intervened and another seafront green area is to be turned into yet more tourist accommodation.
New urbanisations are to be built on both sides of the well-known Almargem Lagoon, thus destroying one of the last natural green seaside spaces in the Loulé council area.
Local election candidates, Rosa de Sousa and Jorge Marinho from the PAN party, joined the head of Almargem to meet current Loulé councillors to express their horror at their lack of protection of biodiversity and for the lack of conservation of green areas and natural habitats.
There is no doubt, said PAN, that "this is another attack on the well-being of future generations, who will not be able to enjoy an area of great beauty, natural wealth and biodiversity."
The pro-development Mayor of Loulé, Vítor Aleixo, washed his hands of the situation, saying that the land is owned by a bank and that the construction of the project cannot be stopped because it accords with the local municipal development plan (PDM) and has had positive opinions from the regional development council and the environment agency.
In its general political programme, PAN (People-Animals-Nature) proposes the revision of these development plans and the creation of new Environmental Regulation and of an Urban Green Infrastructure Plan to promote best practices and respect for nature when faced with human activity, such as tourism development.
The situation is similar to that near Galé where MillenniumBPC are selling off the hugely controversial Salgados Praia Grande eco-Resort* project which already has attracted 34,167 signatures on a petition to preserve the 350 hectares of sea front land as a bird a nature sanctuary, rather than see it become another 'me too' tourist development with hotels, a golf course and innumerable holiday apartments.
The Algarve again bows down to institutions and property developers who are adept at using existing but out-of-date laws and pushing through projects that would never get planning permission if presented now.
Similarly, the development of the Alfamar hotel into the Sunset Albufeira Sport & Health Resort will mean an area of seafront pine forest, on ecological land to the east of Albufeira, will be bulldozed and built on - all in the name of tourism.
The Alfamar development and the push along the cliff-top is in conflict with the territorial management instruments in force, namely PROTAL, POOC Burgau-Vilamoura, PDM Albufeira, RAN and REN but the developers have an ally in the pro-development:anti-nature regional development commission, CCDR-Algarve which conveniently has helped the developer find a way around laws that are meant to protect the environment.
As for the Quarteira development, this represents another nail in nature’s coffin as, when banks and builders are involved, cash is king and sod the environment.
*For the Salgados petition, click here :
