Thursday 31 March 2011

Junta leaves Jimena and Tarifa macro projects out of POT

JIMENA/TARIFA (Agencies) In its latest revision of the Plan General de Ordenación del Territorio (POT) for the Campo de Gibraltar, the Junta de Andalucía has left out some of the projects that had previously been included. Principally impacted are Jimena and Tarifa, the former with a now un-backed golf resort of some €900million, and Tarifa with a similar golf project. The decision comes as the result of the financial crisis and affects major infrastructure investments of this kind. The Jimena Golf Resort tourist complex could go ahead via other means, according to Mayor Pascual Collado, as it is qualified as 'of regional tourism interest'. In any case the 700 homes in the project have not been scrapped by the Junta. Also, Collado points out that the POT establishes a series of other infrastructures, including necessary public works such as sewage and road improvements.>
The 700 homes are planned for a section of the municipality that would join the village with Los Ángeles. The Jimena Golf Resort project, promoted by Bogaris Residential S.L. included not only a golf course but also a hotel, villas, apartments, parking, sports facilities, a riding school and even a primary school, according to the memorandum that was sent in to the Junta for approval. It wouls have been built on some 547 hectares on plots in the areas known as La Cascareja and El Marqués.

The original idea for this major resort project, located at the southern end of the municipality, has been several years in the developing. The original agreement between the developers, Bogaris and then-Mayor Ildefonso Gómez, was signed on May 19, 2004.

The memorandum included a very positive report from the UGT union, which saw the possibilities of employment for some 10,700 people - 10,200 in building and 500 in operating the resort when built. Plus some 15,000 indirect jobs. The Bogaris project had the first phase being started in 2010/2011 with a completion period of some eight years.

In tarifa's case, the POT included the creation of a golf course in thje area known as Brocon, but Mayor Miguel Manella says that this, too will follow other administrative avenues towards development, as this, too, is qualified as 'of territorial interest'. He considers it of vital importance to his municipality because "Tarifa has a development problem, being surrounded by the  Straits Nature Park, the wind farms, MoD land and public countryside."

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