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Date Published: 24/09/2021
ARCHIVED - New multiuse centre to be built on unspolit Mar Menor land despite protests
The Murcia government claims they have backing for construction work from local citizens’ groups, who deny any support
A huge new multipurpose centre is to be built on one of the few areas still unspoilt in La Manga del Mar Menor, despite protests from environmental groups that this will further the ongoing destruction of the Mar Menor lagoon. The City Council of Cartagena and the Regional Government of Murcia are sidestepping criticism by several citizens’ associations and the Association of Naturalists of the Southeast (ANSE) and will forge ahead with the construction work in Monte Blanco.
Ecologists argue that the new building will spell increased disaster for the Mar Menor, which is already languishing due to barely restrained pollution. The project will cost 1.9 million euros and will be 80% financed by the European Union, in what seems like a contradiction to the EU’s commitment to help save the Mar Menor.
Coincidentally, this is exactly the same percentage of funding that the EU has granted to a project to monitor illegal water usage on farms in the Mar Menor area to ensure nitrate runoffs don’t contaminate the water further. In a statement, ANSE asserted that “the City Council and the Community are still determined to do away with the last undeveloped corners in La Manga and it seems that they have decided to squander European aid for the Mar Menor on further destruction, instead of recovery and restoration.”
For their part, regional politicians have asserted that the new centre will “make [La Manga] a more attractive place to live all year round”, and explained away their ghosting of environmental concerns with the excuse that “this infrastructure is one of the initiatives of ‘La Manga 365’, a strategic project of the regional executive to provide this unique enclave in Europe with new infrastructures and services”.
They went on to insist that Monte Blanco “is the only available space for urban use offered by the City Council” and that “the functionalities of this building respond to the proposals made by the residents and businessmen of the area”. They even added that “the Neighbourhood Association of La Manga Veneziola supports it, because services are going to be installed”.
However, this very same residents’ association posted a message on Facebook categorically stating that it does not support the project, and denying any truth in what government sources were saying. Sources from the mayor’s office stated that this neighbourhood group did publicly give their support for the project this summer, but failed to provide any proof of their claim.
Image: CARM
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