About 20 families that have permanent residence in the Camping Park of Quarteira are being forced to leave it until April 15th. Orbitur, the company that manages the space, was notified that it had to hand over the land to the owner – a real estate fund – by that date, but guarantees that it is "doing everything" to try to extend the deadline due to the State of Emergency in force. .
This is a story with several chapters and vicissitudes and it is important to tell from the beginning.
It all started in 2008, with the purchase, from Orbitur, of the land where the Camping Park is located, by the Special Closed Real Estate Investment Fund — Invesfundo VII, of the Novo Banco group.
The goal would be to implement a resort called “Quinta do Oceano”, with 9,7 hectares and a total of 499 dwellings, located in buildings of two or six floors, including one aparthotel, and housing a total of 1831 inhabitants.
The project was years in the drawer , despite having obtained a favorable environmental impact assessment, but conditioned, dated February 2018. In other words: everything was ready to go.
But “Quinta do Oceano” has always had the strong contestation of environmental associations, like Almargem. At issue was the fact that the resort be implemented in the areas of Trafal and Foz do Almargem, «two remarkable wetlands on the coast of Quarteira» and of recognized environmental value.
The arguments also convinced the socialist executive of the Loulé Council who, in March of last year, decided to take a drastic measure: suspended the Municipal Master Plan (PDM) to that area, preventing the construction of the resort.
The decision, justified by the local authority, had been taken in view of the «discovery of the existence of a set of environmental weaknesses».
Despite all this framework, Orbitur received “months ago”, from the real estate fund, an indication that it had to hand over the land by May 31 of this year.
In statements to the Sul Informação, Beatriz Santos, director of Orbitur, explained that, «as we need some time to clean the park and the land, we warned people that they had to leave by April 15».
According to the official, this warning is "being given for months".
“In February, we made a notice to people and notified them in writing. There were half a dozen users who refused to receive the letters because they already knew the content. What is certain is that we looked for them all and, to those who refused, we delivered a copy of the letter, always before two witnesses. All people are fully notified and aware of what is happening», he explains.
But users, people who have permanent residence in the Camping Park of Quarteira, do not accept this justification.
“We've known about this situation for some time, yes, and we were even notified by letter, before the State of Emergency. But now, with all this from Covid-19, we can't go anywhere else and they want to close the park», lamented Miguel Matias, one of the people who reside in the Camping Park, to the Sul Informação.
The big point is this: the fact that Portugal is in a state of emergency prevents these people, who have leased a plot of land to park their motorhome, from going elsewhere.
“What we wanted is for this not to happen at a time like this. We all wanted to leave, in an orderly way, but now it's impossible. We have nowhere to go», reinforces Miguel Matias.
With the entry into force of the State of Emergency, last March 18, and now renewed, the Secretary of State for Tourism took the decision to close the campsites across the country, but with one caveat: only permanent residents can remain in these spaces.
According to the decree-law, “users of camping and caravan parks who, at the time of the declaration of a state of emergency made by Decree of the President of the Republic no. 14 -A/2020, reside permanently in these establishments tourists, can stay there to ensure the response to housing needs».
In this case, the entities operating the camping and caravan parks even have “the obligation to ensure the provision of minimum services for the supply of electricity, water, safety of people and goods and treatment of solid urban waste”.
On the part of Orbitur, there is an "understanding of the exceptional situation of these people".
“What I can say is that we are trying to extend land use ourselves. At the moment, we still don't have an answer, but we are trying with the owner [the fund linked to Novo Banco] to expand it. Let's try to manage the situation as we go along. feedback», said Beatriz Santos, in her statements to the Sul Informação.
And what reactions has Orbitur received from the property fund that owns the land?
“We were told that the person who can formalize an eventual extension of the departure period is prevented from traveling because he is in Spain and that it is necessary to hold a meeting and make a decision. Therefore, we are in expectation», explained Beatriz Santos.
With regard to users, they also complain that Orbitur, in recent months, has increased rents exponentially from «200 to almost 700 euros», accusations that the company that manages the park refutes.
"What happens is that, since Orbitur is prevented from renewing the monthly contracts, having terminated them because it does not own the land and has to hand it over to the landlord, if it stays beyond March 31, the special prices for Orbitur Camping Club members, lower than the counter table and that have nothing to do with the amounts indicated», said Beatriz Santos.
Moreover, according to Orbitur, these people were “given the opportunity to move to another Orbitur Park in the Algarve, namely Valverde/Lagos, if they so chose and there were those who already did”.
In the perception of this responsible, with the delivery of the land already, «the real estate fund may be wanting to put some pressure on the Chamber, which suspended the PDM».
Contacted by Sul Informação, Vítor Aleixo, mayor of Loulé, guaranteed that this “suspension is to be in force”.
As for the issue of people's departure, the mayor considered it to be something "absolutely insensitive". "It is not acceptable to do this now at a time when there is a State of Emergency," he said.
On behalf of the Chamber, Vítor Aleixo guaranteed that the situation “will be monitored”. "We will always be in a position to help, although immediate responses are very difficult," he added.
Orbitur leaves the same guarantee: “we are not the ones who are going to put people on the street. We are managing the situation as much as we can, realizing people's concerns. Let's do what is in our power».
It is certain that the company already has a project «ready to go» for another Camping Park, in Quarteira, also in the Fonte Santa area.
“Until today, bureaucracies last and we are waiting for the issuance of a license to build”, concluded Beatriz Santos.
Help us to do the Sul Informação!
Contribute your donation so that we can continue to make your journal!
Click here to support us (Paypal)
Or use our IBAN PT50 0018 0003 38929600020 44
Comments