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Date Published: 12/12/2022

ARCHIVED - Ecologists up in arms over plans to build 1,000 homes in Mil Palmeras, Orihuela Costa

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Proposals to develop a last stretch of "virgin" coastline in the Vega Baja municipality have raised concerns from environmental groups

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Ecologists up in arms over plans to build 1,000 homes in Mil Palmeras, Orihuela Costa

Once again, plans to build homes on Orihuela's coastline have been met with outrage and concern, with proposals to create almost 1,000 homes in Mil Palmeras being met with resistance from local ecologists.

For years, the Federación de Asociaciones de Orihuela Costa-Alicante has been protesting against urban development on the coastal municipality's "virgin" coastline.

And now the group, along with the Association Amigos de Sierra Escalona (ASE), have blasted plans to construct 954 new homes on 159,000 m2 of land on the 'second line' in Orihuela Costa due to "the value of the land and overcrowding of the coastline", and is urging the planning authorities to "reclassify this area".

The land is bordered to the north by the Dehesa de Campoamor urbanisation, to the south by Pilar de la Horadada, to the west by the N-332, and to the east by an area of coastline consolidated by building, which forms part of sector B-1b - one of the most controversial urban developments in Orihuela Costa.

Right on its coastal strip, several blocks were built on the seafront in the mid 80s at the same time that the Coastal Law was being introduced.

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Plans for this particular urbanisation of nearly 1,000 homes were first voiced three decades ago, but have since been repeatedly modified with the revised version now on public display until mid-January.

Over the next few days, the Friends of Sierra Escalona (ASE), will present its case for the reclassification of the sector as "undeveloped land for special protection", providing "an ecological corridor between the protected area of Sierra Escalona, the Dehesa de Campoamor and the sea".

ASE has argued that "the land is at geomorphological risk of flooding" and "approval of the development would be a complete absurdity as it would mean the continuation of the irrational commitment to the clogging up of the coastline".

"This project would mean building nearly 1,000 homes to house almost 2,400 people in an already overcrowded environment. Measures are urgently needed to stop the urbanisation of the few remaining undeveloped plots of land on the coastal strip of the Vega Baja", argued ASE President, Miguel Ángel Pavón.

Ecologists have also criticised the fact that 1,200 specimens of cat's head jarilla would be at risk by the development of multi-rise blocks of 10 floors with green areas, public facilities, educational facilities, roads and car parks.

"In this area of the municipal district, no more than three-storey buildings can be built", ASE points out.

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Image: Ayuntamiento de Orihuela

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