Walter Finch
ANCIENT olive groves are to be ripped up to make way for a solar panel plant near one of Spain’s leading World Heritage sites.
Granada City Council has granted the building permit for the plant, named San Gregorio I, which is planned to be built near the world famous Alhambra.
Locals and even officials from abroad are concerned about the impact that the plant could have on the environment.
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The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) have joined the chorus calling for the project to be immediately halted.
The plant will sit next to the Alhambra and clash with the protected scenic environment that surrounds it.
This protected area includes the Generalife estate, historic olive groves and traditional agricultural land.
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Granada’s City Councilor for Urban Planning has stated that while the administration is legally obliged to process any formal permit application, it is not actively supporting or promoting the project.
Instead, the Council is proceeding with the administrative procedure that is legally required. The case is currently in its public consultation and appeals stage as it awaits a final decision from the Council.
Two further developments are also being planned which would lead the solar panels to occupy close to 10 hectares of land.
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According to activists, the developers are purposefully splitting up the developments into smaller projects as then an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will not be necessary. An EIA is only required for plans larger than 10 hectares. Each individual plant, therefore, only requires a municipal license.
Granada already generates 1,452 MW from solar and wind and is experiencing a boom in renewable energy projects.
These proposed projects will contribute to this surge in renewable energy but locals remain concerned about the effects that the plans will have on the surrounding protected areas.
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