New houses will be built on unspoilt Cala Mosca

It looks like today will be a sad day for the coast as Orihuela council’s governing board is set to approve the construction of up to 2,200 homes at Cala Mosca. This is despite sustained opposition from environmentalists and residents.
The controversial plans by the Gomendio group to build on the last piece of unspoilt coastline in Orihuela Costa have faced opposition on several levels including infrastructure and environmental concerns. However, a revised proposal by Gomendio, which includes an expanded protected microreserve area for the cat head plant and a reduction in the number of holiday homes to be built, was submitted for public consultation in February.
Last year, Orihuela Mayor Carolina Gracia had attempted to get Gomendio to move to another site but the proposal was refused. Following a positive environmental impact study commissioned by the Valencian government, opponents of the Cala Mosca urbanisation were left with few options. Despite her opposition to the development, Carolina Gracia has confirmed that she cannot refuse to submit the project to the governing board for approval after technical reports found no grounds to block it. The new submission also includes a report from the General Secretariat that obliges compliance to ensure sufficient water resources to guarantee the supply of drinking water in all plots of the urbanisation plan.
Additionally, Orihuela council would have been liable for compensation payments of up to €200 million payable to the developer if they tried to block the project, effectively bankrupting the administration. Work on the development of Alameda del Mar is expected to start next month.

Pressure from the developer
The Mayor said: “The PSOE has never liked this project, and it still does not like it today. But as Mayor, I have the obligation to include it in the governing body because if not, the one who incurs patrimonial responsibility will be the City Council because there is no reason that prevents us from continuing with the administrative file. No one in their right mind would risk or mortgage the Orihuela City Council for a decision that cannot be legally upheld and with documents in hand. None of the threats and pressure that the company’s lawyer has applied to me as Mayor has anything to do with this decision.”