El Algarrobico hotel – still undecided

Azata del Sol, the company behind the El Algarrobico hotel in Carboneras, has appealed to the Andalusian High Court of Justice (TSJA) to cancel the construction license. This move comes as the new mayor, Salvador Hernandez, seeks more time to organise the local government.

The company’s request aims to enforce the court’s decision requiring the Council to reassess the municipal construction permit, a necessary step before any demolition can occur. However, Greenpeace opposes this, arguing that recent legal developments may have rendered the land where the hotel stands once again available for development. Such a change could jeopardise the validity of the construction permit.

In its plea, Azata del Sol contends that the review of the hotel’s construction license, granted in 2003, should proceed independently of other legal matters concerning the land’s designation. Despite the TSJA’s previous directive to Carboneras’ mayor to initiate the review process within a month, a subsequent decision by the court revoked the protective status of the land where the hotel was constructed.

Greenpeace urges suspension of proceedings

Greenpeace has urged a suspension of proceedings, claiming that if the land is deemed available for development once more, the existing construction permit might be considered valid under current urban planning regulations. The organisation emphasises the necessity of changing the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) and insists that until the land’s protected status is officially reinstated by the council, the review of the hotel’s construction license cannot proceed.

In response, Carboneras’ Council, under new leadership following a successful motion of no confidence against the previous administration, has assured the TSJA that once the new council is fully organised, it intends to bring the review of the license to a vote. Mayor Salvador Hernandez has stressed the importance of this decision, stating that its implementation will trigger the necessary review process mandated by the court.