LOULÉ CÂMARA and Loulé municipal assembly have approved the plan for Quinta da Ombria, a development between the villages of Querença and Tôr, in the north of Loulé, that has been involved in an environmental scandal over the past 20 years.
Occupying an area of 143 hectares in the Barrocal region identified in the Rede Natura, the Quinta da Ombria development represents an investment of almost 60 million euros from a Finish consortium formed by SRV Group and Leart.
The development was first approved in 2004 by the government but its construction never went ahead due to incomplete Environmental Impact Studies that were revealed to the European Union by local environmental organisations. The information led the EU to criticise Portuguese authorities in 2006 for disrespecting EU laws concerning protected areas and contamination of ground waters.
After two decades, the promoters have dealt with all the legal and environmental demands which led to the approval of the project by local entities.
Environmental organisations, like the Loulé based Almargem, have already protested against the decision and announced their intention of looking for legal support in international courts to stop what they classify as a “massive and unfair project” for the region and its inhabitants.
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