Linea Directa 200 LEFT COL CAR INSURANCE

PROPERTY SEARCH

DomusVi Ciudad de Murcia residential cross content 1200

Date Published: 25/05/2022

ARCHIVED - Cartagena marks off 2km green belt in 3.6m-euro project to join Canteras and San José Obrero

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The project to protect this strip of land will involve restoring the historical Roman quarry sites and reintroducing native species

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Cartagena marks off 2km green belt in 3.6m-euro project to join Canteras and San José Obrero

The Canteras Roman sandstone quarry and San José Obrero are two of the great green lungs around Cartagena, providing all important natural areas unspoilt by urban buildings that are so important for cleansing the atmosphere and the regeneration of wildlife.

Now, the two areas are due to be joined together by a corridor of protected land 2 kilometres long.

The Biodiversity Foundation has granted 3,640,000 euros for a project named “Roman Forest” (“Bosque Romano”), which was presented for European funding by the City Council of Cartagena and the nature association ANSE.

The project will involve the creation of a large green belt through the renaturalisation of plots of land covering an area of around 15 hectares and running for 2 kilometres between San José Obrero and Canteras, passing through La Vaguada and Loma de Canteras

This strip will be repopulated with native species to recover biodiversity, protect the soil against erosion and create a green corridor that runs through the north-western neighbourhoods and contains paths and trails for the use of local residents, while prohibiting the construction of new buildings.

Urbanisable land is always in demand in our expanding cities, of course, and Cartagena City Council occasionally finds space to squeeze in more urban housing and businesses, such as homes in the Barriada Cuatro Santos or a new hotel in Cabo de Palos.

However, it is just as important to earmark land for other uses that involve care for the environment and making sure there are green spaces available for everyone, animals and humans alike.

In addition, two sandstone quarries that are currently buried by rubble will be excavated, and other areas of the Roman Quarries of Cartagena will be restored, some of them acquired by ANSE years ago, promoting the approval of the Conservation Plan for the Historic Site.

For Pedro García, director of ANSE, the project is a great opportunity to demonstrate that it is possible to reduce land destined for development and restore natural and cultural heritage, improving the landscape, biodiversity and quality of life.

What will the project involve?

The development of the proposal is planned in four phases to be completed by December 2025. The first phase will be the acquisition of privately owned and undeveloped land.

In the second phase, work will be carried out to eliminate invasive species from these areas and to renaturalise them by planting native species in three areas: the first, in the area between San José Obrero and Finca Medina; the second on the plots of Finca Medina, and the third in Canteras and its surroundings.

The total value of the project, which involves other sustainable actions such as the promotion of collective composting, is estimated at 4 million euros, of which 90% is being subsidised by EU funds.

The project will be open to the participation of neighbourhood associations and all kinds of associations that also want to help transform the green areas in their neighbourhoods and the urbanisation housing estates surrounding the area.

Images: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena

Linea Directa Bottom Article M-Z CAR INSURANCE

Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox

Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)