THE Algarrobico hotel is an ‘aberration’ and must be knocked down.
This is the view of Spain’s IU party, after a group of Almeria town halls banded together to get the illegal hotel opened.
The group of 16 town halls (15 from the PP party) insist the 411-room monstrosity built on a beach in Cabo de Gata Natural Park would create an estimated 300 jobs.
“Whether we like it or not, the hotel is pretty much finished,” said Alcontar mayor Antonio Ramon Salas.
“I think the benefits of opening it would be shared across Almeria and help establish quality tourism in the region.”
He also claimed that demolition would cause an even bigger environmental impact than leaving it.
However, IU deputy Ascension de las Heras dismissed the claim as wrong.
She said that while job creation is an ‘absolute priority’, these jobs must be ‘socially useful and secure’.
“The Algarrobico is an aberration, one of the biggest on the Spanish coastline,” she said. “It must come down.”
She added that the organised demolition and recuperation of the natural space it is built on ‘would bring many more jobs than continuing with this project,’.
Meanwhile Junta Environment councillor Luis Planas has made his position clear.
“The Junta’s position on this subject is unchanged,” he said.
“From an environmental point of view it is not acceptable, and legally speaking judicial proceedings are still active.”
Indeed, Andalucia’s High Court has ruled the special protection of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.
This revokes a law passed by the Junta in 2008 and hopefully will bring demolition one step closer.
