Golf course and 5-star hotel receive Silves Council blessing

Paul Rees 30 May 2019

silvescouncil A 700-bed hotel, plus an 18-hole golf course, is in the final stages of planning and authorisation at Silves Council.

The location is at Feitoria Fenícia, just west of the city and includes a long stretch of riverside along the Arade.

The Council is fully behind the project, signed off on May 27^th, citing 300 jobs and and a €50 million spend as reasons for the project to be given the go-ahead.

The complex covers the Rocha Branca archaeological site that was trashed in the 1990s and includes sports facilities, a walk-way along the banks of the Arade and natural areas for birdwatching and environmental education, according to the promoters.

The Council already had signed an approval of the plan at a meeting back in March 2019 and the next stage is for a Strategic Environmental Assessment, which will include an opportunity for the public to comment.

The golf course plan came under strong criticism in 2014, when it was first proposed, with Quercus vociferous in its criticism, stating that “the golf course at Feitoria Fenícia will cause more destruction of agricultural land" and will affect significant Natura 2000 Network habitats on National Agricultural Reserve land.

The golf course project, without the hotel, received a favorable opinion on 15 December 2014, but with several conditions imposed including flood defences and the protection of the Phonecean and Roman remains, or what was left of them after the landowner sent in heavy machinery to destroy the archaeological structures when archaeologists started carefully to excavate the ancient trading post.

The landowners were ordered to pay a fine in compensation for the destruction of the archaeological remains, destruction so bad that the site was never classified as there was nothing much left to classify.

The Council notificartion and plans can be found HERE

Comments

+6 #9 Darcy 2019-06-04 00:59

Quoting Susan Campbell:

Please forget it until the Arade is dredged and tourists can arrive by boat from Portimao. Then it may be possible to fill 700 beds. Portugal is already known as being expensive for golf!

....................................
It's expensive if you want to play golf in the sun....
Otherwise, stay in Northern Europe where you take your chances with the weather, and possibly it's just as expensive as the Algarve.

0 #8 Susan Campbell 2019-06-03 10:31

Please forget it until the Arade is dredged and tourists can arrive by boat from Portimao. Then it may be possible to fill 700 beds. Portugal is already known as being expensive for golf!

+4 #7 mj1 2019-06-01 22:50

just wonder why anyone would want a villa on a golf course, they are such "stepford wives" places where you wouldn't dare get an electric drill out or hang up washing...only purpose is for someone to sit looking at a green in his or her designer shirts with a gin and tonic. They are not places where children can run or you throw a ball for your dog.

+4 #6 Denby 2019-06-01 18:22

Jeff Brown,
"Buy education" think you my have a purchase to make!

+8 #5 Margaridaana 2019-06-01 14:34

Quoting mj1:

another hotel and golf course...who would have thought it

by the way where is the water coming from, or will all the water be taken from the river to keep those grass areas vivid green in 40 C temps

Agree totally. Does the Algarve really need another golf course and a seven hundred (?) bed hotel? Can't believe it. Let's hope it never happens.

-1 #4 Jeff Brown 2019-05-31 18:11

Desperately sad that Portugal, like so many fascist and ex-fascist countries is so dismissive of 'education'. It is a threat to the elites status quo. Many Brazilians are revolting at the moment against university cuts and Portugal famously established a University that ran for years for any 'elite' wanting to buy their qualification. Still no one in authority sees archaeological remains as a European resource in Portugal, in better educated European cultures there would be procedures in place to avoid this destruction. As in Beja with some 20 Roman houses destroyed - once again we must assume that there is nothing on the paperwork that tells a new landowner that they have bought 'protected land'. The PJ / GNR / PSP; even if some brave soul alerts them - as always paralised by not knowing if any of their superiors are 'protecting' the development: so interfering will impact on their career.

+1 #3 Jack Reacher 2019-05-31 15:30

Quoting mj1:

another hotel and golf course...who would have thought it

by the way where is the water coming from, or will all the water be taken from the river to keep those grass areas vivid green in 40 C temps

The Arade River water is tidal. Only way to irrigate the precious greens is through a bitehole...as well as watering the zillions of citrus trees. We need a drought..to put a stop to these unimgainative tourist attractions.

+8 #2 Einar 2019-05-31 11:25

Interesting developing story! Could it end up like ready built never-opened nearby hotels at golf course Morgado, Portimao? Stand up for Archeology and Environment!

+4 #1 mj1 2019-05-31 08:45

another hotel and golf course...who would have thought it

by the way where is the water coming from, or will all the water be taken from the river to keep those grass areas vivid green in 40 C temps

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