Reversing the process of Alagoas Brancas «would mean not complying with the law and would be disrespecting the rights legally acquired by the promoter in 2008, and later validated in 2013, with all the legal and financial consequences that come with it». This is one of the points of the long and detailed communiqué that the Municipality of Lagoa has just issued, about the subdivision in Alagoas Brancas, which has been the subject of public contestation.
The Municipality emphasizes that, if it decided to go back, “the more than foreseeable appeal by the prosecutor to the Justice, demanding compensation of large millions of euros, would jeopardize the financial stability of the municipality and prevent the support of the Municipal Council to those who need it most, from IPSS to communities, from Education services to Culture, from Sports to the conservation of infrastructure in Lagoa, jeopardizing the future of Lagoa and the Lagoenses».
Yesterday, the case of Alagoas Brancas, whose subdivision project for commercial and industrial areas has been the subject of strong contestation by a citizens' movement, environmental defense associations and political parties, namely the PAN and the Left Block, underwent a further development, with the announcement that the Loulé Administrative and Tax Court upheld the injunction brought by the PAN on the 7th of November and determined the immediate suspension of the construction works in progress.
In its communiqué, the Municipality, currently chaired by the socialist Luís Encarnação, begins by recalling that «the subdivision of Alagoas is an integral part of the Urbanization Plan for the City of Lagoa, approved at the Chamber meeting of February 6, 2008, which defined the south zone of the city of Lagoa as a zone of expansion of economic activities and implantation of industrial areas of multiple commercial and service uses».
The Urbanization Plan, which "dates back to 2008, has the positive opinion of all the entities with competence in the matter, namely the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), the Algarve Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) and the Instituto da Conservação of Nature and Forests (ICNF) and was under public discussion more than once», he adds. In 2008, the Lagoa Chamber was presided over by José Inácio, elected by the PSD.
However, explains the Lagoa Chamber, «during the public discussions, no citizen commented on the Urbanization Plan for the City of Lagoa. Neither against nor in favor”.
After the approval of this Urbanization Plan, «the developer, knowing that the area south of Lagoa was intended for economic activities and the implementation of industrial areas for multiple commercial and service uses, acquired the land and submitted the project to the City Council» .
The architectural project «was approved at a chamber meeting, on July 25, 2013, after all the entities responsible for the assessment of environmental protection - APA, CCDR and ICNF - had issued positive opinions, devaluing, once again, the on-site biodiversity. In July 2013, the Lagoa Chamber was still chaired by José Inácio (PSD).
Once again, «during the public discussion about the project in question, no citizen commented. Neither against nor in favor”.
The note from the Lagos Chamber goes on to say that “as for the precautionary actions filed against the project, there is a decision of the Central Administrative Court that granted the claims and rights of the promoter”.
"Given the procedures followed and approved, the Municipality of Lagoa, despite the changes in the executive and the parties that constitute it, is solidary for the decisions taken and continues to answer for the decisions and deliberations of the previous municipal bodies of the municipality", adds the statement. , also saying that «there are rules and laws, which the Municipality is obliged to comply with and enforce».
There is also, recalls the Municipality, «a decision of the Central Administrative Court» and «an Urbanization Plan for the City of Lagoa, which dates back to 2008, and which gives full legitimacy to the developer».
In fact, defends the Municipality of Lagoa, «knowing the history of this process, it was this executive who registered the land in question as a rustic area, in the revision of the Municipal Master Plan that came into force last year, preventing future urbanization and construction in the area that is provoking this public demonstration”.
Nearing the end of its 15-point communiqué, the municipality claims to reiterate "the strong commitment to the conservation of the county's natural heritage and the preservation of the environment", giving some examples.
Thus, he argues, «it is in this sense that the municipality is moving forward with meteorological monitoring systems, ending with the irrigation of green spaces on rainy days, or with the replacement of supply pipes to avoid the heavy waste of water that we still have. in the system".
Other examples are «the Urban Parks that will be born soon, the one in Lagoa and the one in Parchal», which «will change the face of the city, with more areas of shade and a significant increase in green spaces».
The statement also informs that “the intervention that the promoter is carrying out is being monitored by technicians from the ICNF and the Municipal Inspection Service”.
In conclusion, the Municipality of Lagoa adds that it «respects and will always respect any decision of the Loulé Administrative and Tax Court or from any higher authority'.
To what Sul Informação noted today at the site, the works are at a standstill, following the injunction accepted by the Loulé Court.
Correction: the text was changed at 22:01 pm, correcting the name of the mayor who was in office in July 2013, who was José Inácio Marques Eduardo, elected by the PSD.
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