The council of Castro Marim finally has made a decision to construct a river beach at the Odeleite reservoir.
The decision was rejected at a Chamber meeting in December last year but a consensus now has been reached within an EC funding deadline after a new version of the project was presented by Councilor José Estevens from Primeiro (CM1).
Castro Marim’s mayor, Francisco Amaral, said his only regret was that the project "had not been approved in December 2017," because it would now be operational and even better than the one in Alcoutim which successfully attracts locals and tourists.
"It will be better,” says the mayor, “because the water area is bigger at 6,100m2, the water quality is better, it is closer to the coast (about 25 kilometers) and is right by the IC27. This is "an investment in an unpopulated and deserted area of the Algarve."
Not to be outdone, independent Councilor José Estevens, said the approval of the beach means that a Centre of Nautical and Sports Activities now can be built and an operator’s concession granted.
This will ensure there is a, "commitment to invest in the requalification of the village of Odeleite to a value equal to that invested in the construction of the Nautical Center, regardless of the amount of Community funding," said Estevens.
Amaral remains critical of the opposition Socialist Party Councillors who voted against the project, saying their arguments were without sense as they wanted to build a leisure zone downstream of the dam in an area controlled by the environmental authorities.
The project has a budget of €600,000, 70% of which will be from a EC grant. The project includes green areas, the beach and associated infrastructure, seating areas, the water sports activities centre, floating pools, cafés and parking facilities.
