An illegal tourist complex in an Extremaduran reservoir faces demolition
In the heart of the province of Cáceres, the waters of the Valdecañas reservoir hide a controversial construction: a luxury resort with housing and a golf course. This project was built on an artificial island, but its greatest conflict lies in being located within an area of the Natura 2000 Network, the main European network for protecting biodiversity. Since construction began more than two decades ago, its trajectory has been marked by legal battles. ⚖️
The justice rules: everything is illegal and must be removed
Several courts have analyzed the case and their verdict is unanimous and firm. The complex lacked the environmental impact assessment required by law to act in a protected area. For this fundamental reason, successive sentences, culminating in one from the Supreme Court in 2023, have declared the illegality of the entire construction. The rulings leave no doubt: they order the demolition of the buildings and the restoration of the area to its original natural state.
Key points of the sentence:- Declares the entire complex illegal due to lack of environmental assessment in a protected area.
- Orders the complete demolition of the housing, golf course, and infrastructure.
- Requires restoration of the artificial island's land to its pre-construction condition.
The resort was promoted as an exclusive paradise, but its most likely future is to become a pile of rubble that will have to be removed by boat.
A complex demolition stalled by bureaucracy
Although the law is clear, executing the demolition is not a quick process. The Government of Extremadura, as the competent authority, must now design a technical project for a large-scale demolition and secure the necessary funding, a logistically and economically complex task. This administrative process explains, in part, why the constructions are still standing awaiting their final fate. 🏗️➡️🗑️
Factors slowing down the demolition:- The regional administration must plan and budget a large-scale demolition and environmental restoration project.
- The homeowners have filed judicial appeals claiming financial compensation, adding another layer of litigation.
- The logistics are intricate, as the entire complex is on an island within a reservoir, complicating machinery access and debris removal.
A paradigmatic case between development and environmental protection
This site in Valdecañas has become a symbol of the conflict between urban development projects and the legal protection of natural spaces. Judicial rulings have clearly prioritized the preservation of the protected natural heritage under the Natura 2000 Network. The case demonstrates the firmness of the environmental legal framework when applied, but also reveals the practical difficulties and extended timelines for reversing impacts of this magnitude, leaving a condemned structure in the landscape to be erased. 🌍