The 2018 bathing season will start with a beach in Monte Gordo renewed. After the construction of a walkway, with a length of three kilometers, opened in July, this Wednesday the 19 old beach supports began to be demolished, which will be replaced by new ones until next summer.
This Wednesday was «a historic day and, for dealers, represents a new life. We hope that, in May, everyone will have the beach support built, to give this beach a new life», said Conceição Cabrita, Mayor of Vila Real de Santo António, at the start of the demolitions, which mark the beginning of the 2nd requalification phase of the beach of Monte Gordo.
This project, which is part of the Vilamoura Coastal Waterfront Management Plan (POOC) – VRSA and which involves, in addition to the Vilarreal Chamber, the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) and the Port Authority of VRSA, intends to carry out «an organization, either in environmental terms or in terms of tourist occupation. The quality of the beach must be improved, so that the dune cordon can be restored again», added Conceição Cabrita.
Sebastião Teixeira, president of APA Algarve, recalled that the POOC was published in 2005 and that «we have been implementing the plan slowly, because it involves a lot of consultation. on the beach of Monte Gordo, we are in the final semester and the idea is to globally requalify the Algarve coast».
The person responsible for the APA highlighted the importance of demolishing the old beach supports, since “they were built on the dune cordon and completely razed the dunes. These works have to do with the requalification of beach support, but the major work is coastal defense. The intention is to remove the concrete structures from the dunes, and then rebuilt them on elevations».
According to Sebastião Teixeira, this allows the dune cordons of “the entire area from here [next to the Casino] to the sidewalk, to be naturally replaced, after removing the beach support. Let nature do its rebuilding work, which we estimate will take between 5 and 10 years».
Demolition processes are not always peaceful, but this was an exception. Pedro da Palma, captain of the port of VRSA, pointed out that “requalification was needed and, from the beginning, both beach users and concessionaires, who were unconditional partners, realized this. All this renewal has been peaceful and has been accepted».
Paulo Calvinho is the owner of one of the beach facilities that will be demolished and a partner in another. For the entrepreneur, «it is necessary to change and evolve for the better. We had the support of the Chamber and the APA, which facilitated the change. We hope it stays that way and we hope the beach has more quality».
The owner says that "you can already see, with the bridge, the increase of people passing here", even so, he assumes that "there will be one or another [dealer] who will not be so satisfied, but you can't please Greeks and Trojans'.
Conceição Cabrita explained that "all concessionaires, who have always paid their licenses, and have everything in order, keep their spaces."
The redevelopment of the beach of Monte Gordo, bringing together the two phases (construction of the bridge and demolition and construction of beach support) represents a total investment of ten million euros.
The bridge cost one million euros to the municipality's coffers, and the construction of the new support and catering spaces will be paid for by the concessionaires.
The demolition works were scheduled for February, but the Chamber of VRSA, APA, Captaincy and concessionaires reached an understanding to postpone them until after the summer, going to the meeting the pretensions of the owners of the establishments.
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