Pressure group SOS Ria Formosa has discovered that the discredited Polis company, set up to develop the Algarve’s Ria Formosa area and deciding instead to rid its islands of people’s homes, is preparing to make a pre-Christmas onslaught on numerous properties on its list that have not yet been demolished.
Polis works under the instruction of the Ministry of the Environment and is being wound up at the end of 2015 but remains intent, despite court orders preventing its demolition contractors from advancing on homes on Farol and Hangares islands, in demolishing any property where is has spotted a legal weakness.
SOS Ria Formosa, which has had success in the past, is not resting on its laurels and is aware that Polis’ reviled director, Sebastião Teixeira, will take advantage of the current political uncertainty to do the Ministry’s bidding while he still has a valid remit.
The current target is a home on Faro island where the full time occupant, David Fernandes, is under threat of losing his property.
Fernandes was brought up on the island and stayed in the property when his parents moved to the mainland for health reasons many years ago. They currently rent social housing in Faro but as their name remains registered against the island property, Teixeira successfully has applied for a demolition order claiming the property is a second home.
David Fernandes has submitted all the documents needed to prove he is a full time resident but this is not enough for Polis which wants a high-profile kill before being consigned to the dustbin of history on December 31st, its reputation sullied by its management’s blind adherence to rules that take no account of real people's lives and livlihoods.
Only the potential destruction of the habitat of a rare island chameleon saved the houses on Hangares and Faro and the islanders’ housing status remains uncertain despite a court order halting all further demolition.
David Fernandes’ property is connected to mains water and electricity and he pays municipal taxes yet the Faro mayor, friendly with the Ministry of the Environment and happy to work against his electorate, again has been unhelpful, agreeing that the house must be demolished.
Mayor, Rogério Bacalhau was bought off months ago by the Ministry with his support for Polis being guaranteed by some long overdue dredging.
Polis disingenouously claims that whenever their staff have visited the island property in question, the occupant is not there so it must be a second home.
The fact that David Fernandes has a full time job in Olhão clearly has not come into the equation and the demolition is set to go ahead, presumably when he is off at work.
Polis offers zero compensation and plan to evict the occupant and tear down his property, its answer to future housing needs is for David to move in with his parents in Faro.
Vanessa Morgado from SOS Ria Formosa/Je Suis Iheu has met David Fernandes and mayor Bacalhau who said he could not do anything because there was already had been a court decision, albeit based on incorrect information, but that he would talk to Polis to see if it would relent.
No one is holding their breath as Bacalhau has a history of duplicity and certainly has not lifted a finger to help a single islander in the past.
Published in Diário da República on November 5th, was the notice of a discussion period for amendments to the Coastal Zone Management Plan (POOC) for Vilamoura to Vila Real de Santo António.
The plan is to continue demolitions under the heading of ‘renaturisation’ of the Ria Formosa area.
It now is up to the residents of the Ria Formosa, the shellfish producers and all those living in and around the Ria Formosa, to participate in this consultation and exert the maximum pressure against what most see as territorial destruction and environmental vandalism.
Local blog Olhão Livre calls for the Portuguese Environment Agency to carry out, not only a public consultation, but also to listen to the people by holding meetings at the various island settlements.
The new Left Bloc/Socialist alliance that soon may be running the country has elements within that are supportive of scrapping the demolitions, well aware of the social disaster that Polis Ria Formosa is intent on pursuing.
