Alex Trelinski
A legal challenge has been sent to Valencia’s Superior Court over a controversial development of 2,274 homes at Cala Mosca on the Orihuela Costa.
The area has been described as the last ‘virgin’ beach area on the Orihuela Costa.
The Ministry of Public Works wants a pause to the development going ahead after approval was granted by Orihuela council’s Partido Popular-Ciudadanos ruling coalition in September.
The Ministry is seriously worried that roads like the already-busy N-332 will not be able to cope with extra traffic that would be generated by a large new urbanisation.
Orihuela council has received repeated warnings from the government body which has threatened legal action.
Local opposition political party Cambiemos Orihuela said: “The Orihuela government team ignored all the warnings. We do not know if this will be the first team that ignores a Ministry mandate to favour the interests of a promoter company,” the statement continued.
Last September, Orihuela’s Urban councillor, Jose Aix, said: “Developers Gomendio have acquired rights to the land and blocking its development could find the council hit with a compensation claim running into millions of euros.”
The project, known as UE2 Alameda del Mar, first appeared in Orihuela’s General Plan over 30 years ago.
After a partial development was approved in 2007, opposition to the plans was led by environmentalists and residents.
A major obstacle to construction was removed four years ago after the Valencian government gave the go-ahead subject to Cala Mosca’s flora and fauna being preserved.
A ‘protected’ environmental area of 40,000 square metres will have to be maintained.
Cala Mosca has two endangered species- the cat head plant and the Tudorella sulcata snail.
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