Around 50 protestors gathered outside Lagos Town Hall yesterday to rally against the construction of three tourist developments in the Meia Praia area, calling for work to be halted until the project has been properly assessed. Chief among the concerned parties’ concerns is the lack of insight into the possible environmental impacts of the planned works.
The protest was organised by the civic movement Salvar a Meia Praia (Save Meia Praia), which is opposing plans for two hotels and a tourist apartment complex on an 11,000-square-metre site close to one of the Algarve’s most popular Blue Flag beaches. The development licence was originally issued in 1988, and revised in 2008.
The movement argues that “a project of this scale and environmental sensitivity should not go ahead without complying with all environmental laws and requirements currently in force”, particularly those concerning a lagoon basin surrounded by wildlife, which is located on the site.
“We are not against development. We are against development that comes at the expense of the dunes, the environment, and the future of Meia Praia. Once these fragile ecosystems disappear, no amount of money will be able to restore them,” said Graça Bastos, a member of the movement.
A meeting of Lagos Town Council began at 3pm, with members of the movement reiterating their opposition to the development and calling on the municipality to revoke the construction licence and designate the site as green space.
During the meeting, Lagos Mayor Hugo Pereira explained that the original licence, approved in 1988, allowed for a larger construction area. However, it was revised in 2008 as part of the Meia Praia Urban Plan, resulting in a reduction in the area earmarked for development.
The mayor also said he was “not in favour of construction on the first line of the coast”, but argued that the municipality could not block the project if the developer complies with all legal and regulatory requirements.
Pereirae added that approval and licensing of the development remain conditional on the developer carrying out the rehabilitation of the lagoon basin.
The Salvar a Meia Praia movement, meanwhile, maintains that the scale and location of the proposed development warrant a fresh assessment of its environmental impacts.
Source: LUSA
Photo credit: Salvar a Meia Praia
