Polis Litoral Ria Formosa is under new attack this week, days after being exposed by national tabloid Correio da Manhã as an entity hellbent on demolishing homes on the barrier islands, no matter what decisions are being considered by the country’s Supreme Court.
The new attack comes from the parish council of Montenegro, which is concerned that vital work to the access of Faro Beach has been delayed (yet again) and now seems certain to compromise the local economy at the one time of the year when it stands to make money.
The suspension – the reason for which we are trying to discover – will “provoke serious difficulties” not only to traffic trying to reach the beach and its many shops and restaurants, but to people and goods “during the critical summer period”, explains parish council president Steven Sousa Piedade.
The “crushing majority” of businesses will be “seriously affected” by the suspension of works, and long queues will undoubtedly cause “chaos”, he adds.
The Resident has been in touch with Polis to find out why it has stopped this vital work, but we were told to put our questions in writing. This did not use to happen. Polis used to put us directly in touch with its president Sebastião Teixeira. But as our questions in those days centred on the struggle by islanders to save their homes, the man dubbed “demolition man” for his zeal to cleanse the islands of their resident populations has become less available.
News on SOS Ria Formosa’s Facebook page also shows that a study to determine the area of land taken up by residents homes reveals human habitation is far from “excessive” (as Polis’ mantra goes): indeed, on Culatra Island, where Polis wants to demolish homes in two longstanding communities the level of occupation is just 11%.
It is making the point that Polis is going all-out in one area – as the country’s Supreme Court examines an appeal for the contrary (click here) – while neglecting agreed projects in another.
The Faro Beach requalification work involves not only improved road access, but the construction of a pedestrian walkway, a cycle path connecting to Faro Airport and a carpark.
