Alma Plaza “Luxury” shopping centre project slammed by environmentalists and small retailers

Almancil || After criticising in May the environmental impact study (EIA) put forward for the planned IKEA outlet in Loulé (see story on page 48), environmental group Quercus and regional business association ACRAL have joined forces again, this time against the Apolónia group’s Alma Plaza Lifestyle Centre project for Almancil. They are calling for plans to be suspended.
After a joint statement in protest of the shopping centre on July 2, the two organisations were joined a day later by Almargem, another environmental group.
While Almargem asks for the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) to reject the Alma Plaza project altogether, Quercus and ACRAL go further and threaten to take matters to court if plans receive a final thumbs-up.
The two entities say they analysed the EIA – which was up for public consultation until July 2 – and found that the construction of the centre will have “serious environmental and economic consequences” in the area which go “far beyond those included in the study”.
They say the project serves “only the interests of the developer” and that it will be implemented on the “last patch of untouched land bordering the EN125 road between Almancil and Quarteira”.
Quercus and ACRAL go on to list 14 issues they found while analysing the EIA, including “the lack of an alternative location for the shopping centre, the destruction of nearly 100 cork oak trees, and its general negative impact on the local environment and small businesses”.
Almargem says the project “only seeks to serve private interests” and is aimed at “a very specific audience” – the so-called Golden Triangle.
The Resident contacted the Apolónia group over these reactions but the group declined to comment.
The Alma Plaza Lifestyle Centre project, launched five years ago by the Apolónia group, represents a €49 million investment to create a new shopping/lifestyle centre over 5.7 hectares near Sítio das Pereiras in Almancil.
In all, the centre will include an Apolónia supermarket, stores, restaurants and cafés, as well as cinemas and clinics. It is expected to create 505 direct jobs and 210 indirect jobs.
The current Apolónia supermarket, less than 200 metres away, will close once the new space opens.
The final go ahead from the environmental authorities is expected later this summer.