The allotment operation for the construction of three hotel establishments, totaling more than 600 tourist beds, in the João D'Arens site, Portimão, about 200 meters from the crest of the unstable cliffs of the coastal section located between the beaches of the 3 Irmãos e do Vau, obtained an unfavorable Environmental Impact Statement (DIA).
The unfavorable DIA, issued by the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Committee (CCDR Algarve) on 3 May, was preceded by an unfavorable opinion from the Assessment Committee responsible for the technical analysis of the Environmental Impact Study (EIA).
The Evaluation Committee considered that, «regardless of the measures proposed in the EIA for the mitigation, prevention and compensation of the identified impacts, the project does not meet the conditions to be made viable, namely with regard to factors such as Biodiversity and Landscape».
In addition to the «destruction of almost three hectares of one of the most representative nuclei of algarvian linaria, a highly pressured plant species, exclusive to the Barlavento Algarve and holder of protection status under the Natura 2000 network, irreversible impacts on the structure and scenic quality of the landscape are expected to compromise the identity of one of the areas that preserves the original features of the regional coastal landscape'.
The planned urban-tourist occupation is framed by a territorial plan that, together with other similar instruments still in force, «provide a global potential buildability for the 500-metre stretch of the Algarve coastline, estimated at around 20.000 beds».
On the DAY, that the Sul Informação consulted, it is recalled that, during the public consultation phase of the development, which ran from 4 February to 15 March, 176 comments were received through the Participa portal, while another 393 were sent directly to the CCDR Algarve email. Two Non-Governmental Environmental Organizations participated in this process: the League for the Protection of Nature (LPN) and Almargem.
DIA adds that “the text written by a group of citizens entitled “The Last Window to the Sea” was signed by 1444 citizens, with their signatures sent in paper (2 volumes) and accompanied by 3 technical opinions: from LPN and 2 specialists, one in the field of plant biology (invasive), the other in geology (Algarvian coast).
The DIA and the opinion of the CA are available for consult the institutional website of the CCDR do Algarve, by clicking here.
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