A MAYOR is being sued for trying to protect his town’s water supply from developers.
Coin mayor Gabriel Clavijo is being taken to court for canceling a huge golf macroproject that could have damaged his town’s main aquifer.
The mayor – who is being investigated for prevarication – after annulling a licence to the developers, insists he has worked hard to compensate the group.
The 100 million euro scheme would have included two golf courses, 600 houses and virgin land.
Presented at the World Travel Market, in London, in 2003, developers Frai Desarrollos SL claimed that the Los Llanos Golf Resort would be an “idyllic golf destination” and have a “minimal impact” on the environment.
Backed by the Caja Granada bank, they claim they were given a licence in 2002 and have had the project signed off by the Environment Department.
But Mayor Clavijo disagreed and he was due to testify explaining his actions on Tuesday.
Clavijo told the Olive Press that there was a risk of contaminating the town’s main aquifer if the scheme went ahead.
He insisted that it was a risk not worth taking, and claimed he had worked hard to try and find a suitable solution for the developers.
“We have offered them other areas of land to developer, but their answer has always been negative.”
His legal team is now studying how to defend their actions.
There are already 50 golf course in Malaga province alone, with nearly 100 in Andalucia.
It’s about time golf course developers found there own water and not take it from the local towns and serounding area thay consum lots of it! water is at a primeam in the summer never mind the wiled life it will push out of the area
Can’t these short-sighted developers and politicians think beyond golf courses and ball games in the face of environmental reality?
Andalucia is more than sufficient in its golf club resources I contend.
If this mayor can stand his ground in defence of water then we are seeing something not only worthy but remarkable. Well done on this issue, Mayor!
Citizens’ Advocate
And this Mayor
Well done Gabriél. I know this man personally and he is an honest hardworking chap. He is NOT going to be swayed by corruption from these developers and as their tactics failed they have gone the legal route. Shame thewy didn’t do that in the first place really. Good for you Mr Mayor, don’t let the bas***ds grind you down.
Well at last a Mayor who has principles and thinks beyond his tenure for the well being of the poeple who have to live in Coin in the future. Andalusia has so many Golf courses, that they are finding it hard to find players,turning now to the Spanish in an attempt to make up for the loss of golf tourism, and can only attract golfers by opening new ones which are seen as a challenge for a few months until the next one bigger, better, is opened, the spiral goes on.
Golf courses are an environmental disaster,they look harmless and pretty as they are green .Why are they green because they have thousands of tons of water tipped on them ever day,where does that water come from ? They will tell you from the waste of the houses they build around the course, impossible as the houses are never fully occupied and are really holiday homes ,so they have to supplemnt with the water of others and suck the water table down causing problems for households farmers and other in the area.
What about the pesticides, and the fertilizer that is needed in tons to keep it looking green, and free from pests where does that go? back into the ground to further pollute the water table.
If the Medio Ambiente have signed off yet another Golf course then they are not doing their job and cannot have properly assessed the loss of the aquifer to Coin through pollution.I dont think the Junta actually read the information they put out .They want to stop deforestation yet pull trees down without a second thought .They are worried about desertification yet use water in areas where there is little reserve like it will never run out.This year they have been let of the hook once again with a slightly better winter rainfall,what was the plan if the rain had remained at the previous winters levels ? they did not have one
Mr Glavijo i salute you sir, if every person in Coin turned up outside the court to support you there would be no court case,in this country from experiance what the authorities do not like is action that can be seen,poeple of coin support your Mayor and protest to save your water supply
Stick to your Guns and dont let these gangsters intimidate you, which they will try .