The General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea has rejected the project to build an artificial beach in Costa Teguise, which intended to be located next to the new hotel that will be built in the town. The authorization to create this beach was requested by the same company promoting the hotel, Tourin Europeo SA, in March 2017, and the response from Costas arrived in December 2018, although the content of the report had not been revealed until now.
In its resolution, this body, which depends on the Ministry for Ecological Transition, reports "unfavorably" to the project, pointing out, among other things, that most of the action was intended to be carried out "within the protected area of the Natura 2000 Network" as a Site of Community Interest.
"The supply of beaches is sufficient," the report states, recalling both the sandy areas that already exist in Costa Teguise and in the rest of the island, which are "less than 30 minutes by car" and which "more than satisfy the needs and requirements of the local and tourist population." Thus, it considers that this intervention is not justified, projected "to give value to the hotel that the applicant company plans to build."
In addition, it also questions that the project intended to extract the sand for this new beach from a town belonging to Western Sahara, despite a ruling by the European Court of Justice issued a ruling in 2016 declaring that this territory does not belong to Morocco and therefore it is not possible to close any commercial agreement with that country when it affects this occupied area.
A cascade of allegations
The resolution thus supports the allegations presented during the public exhibition phase of the project, among which were those of the César Manrique Foundation, the Arca Ibérica National Association, the Associations of Friendship and Solidarity with the Saharawi People, the Delegation of the Polisario Front and those of other people in their individual capacity. In this regard, Costas emphasizes that this "shows a strong rejection by the society of Lanzarote of the creation of new beaches in Costa Teguise."
Regarding the allegations of the FCM, the report reproduces part of its content. Among other things, the Foundation argued that there was no "public interest" in this project and pointed out that the Guidelines on actions on beaches "could justify actions to improve or regenerate existing beaches," but "not the creation of a new beach at the mere convenience of the promoter."
In addition, they added that the Environmental Impact Study presented by the company did not comply with the legislation, "by not including in the basic project the determination of the possible impact on areas of the Natura 2000 Network." To this was also added, like the Saharawi associations that presented allegations, the questioning of the origin of the sand they intended to use.
Negative report from the Canary Islands Government and positive report from the Cabildo
For its part, the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Sustainability and Security of the Government of the Canary Islands also issued an unfavorable report, pointing out that the beach was proposed on a Site of Community Importance, "among other values, for hosting a priority species." Thus, it concluded that "it cannot be authorized because it does not comply with the reasons to be excepted."
In contrast, the Cabildo then presided over by Pedro San Ginés did issue a favorable report, pointing out "the legality of the works." Works to which the regional Executive itself had opposed and then Costas, with this report that is almost a year old but that had not been released from the island institution.
In its conclusions, that resolution also refers to the forecasts of how that area will evolve at the hands of the effects of climate change and the effect that the construction of that artificial beach would have. "The development of events according to the calculated models and the substitution of the stone rasa that supposes a natural defense of the coast by an infrastructure that will rigidify the intertidal zone will suppose an increase of the risk in the littoral border of the zone. It is foreseeable that the cost of the maintenance of said infrastructure will increase, being able to be necessary a continuous contribution of sand, with the constant negative environmental impact associated on the ecosystem. In addition, with the construction of the new beach, a need for conservation of elements whose main objective is to increase the valuation of a hotel will be created, without attending to the demand for public use of a varied coast, limiting the offer to artificial white sand beaches," he concludes.
