ENVIRONMENTALISTS have hailed a major victory after Andalucia moved to bring down a controversial hotel built illegally on Almeria’s coast more than two decades ago.
Greenpeace said it hoped to see the infamous Algarrobico knocked down ‘before the end of the year’ after the regional government announced on Tuesday it had started the process to ‘restore legality to the site.’
The breakthrough follows years of wrangling after a court halted construction of the Algarrobico in 2006, finding that the 411-room resort was being built on protected, non-developable land.
Luis Berraquero, Greenpeace’s territorial coordinator in Andalucia, said: “It is excellent news and the beginning of the end for one of the biggest symbols of urban speculation on the coast.”
“It has been a very long road, two decades.
“But finally, only the final steps remain before demolition. This shows that public pressure and perseverance are key to defending biodiversity and our territory.
“We would love to see that ruin reduced to rubble before the end of the year.”
Greenpeace has also called on authorities to ensure Algarrobico beach, which lies within the municipality of Carboneras, is ‘fully restored to its natural state’ after the demolition.
The Andalucian government has not yet said when demolition will begin, with experts warning the process could still take months.
Construction of the Algarrobico began in 2003, when Carboneras town hall first issued the hotel’s building licence.
Despite the 2006 court order to halt construction, councillors never revoked the licence – leaving the hotel stuck in legal limbo, unable to be completed or demolished.
Protesters then targeted the site relentlessly as the limbo dragged on, splashing its facade with the giant words ‘illegal hotel’ and even trolling the local mayor with a birthday cake shaped like the Algarrobico earlier this year.
A major twist in the saga then came on July 7, when Carboneras town hall finally cancelled the licence after years of legal pressure.
The decision cleared the way for the next stage of the demolition process, with Andalucia officially stepping in on Tuesday.
The decisive vote at Carboneras town hall came after seven councillors had previously helped delay the decision, prompting an investigation into whether they had deliberately obstructed the process.
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