The Great and the Good of Almería have been in meetings recently to discuss our Future, namely, the Plan de Ordenación Intermunicipal del Llano Central del Levante Almeriense, or POTALA.
This “Plan for our Future” (note caps) contemplates the building of three golf courses (minimum – sic), 7,000 hotel rooms, xx,xxx new homes and apartments and much more in the vast, wind swept area between Turre, Los Gallardos, Vera and Garrucha, known as the new Llano Central city. For more on the subject, click here: Potala or the Llano Central posts
An Anonymous Source has sent me through a working draft of the recent citizen committee. Fascinating stuff. It ranges from the most specific possible (ie, all pavements will be at least 5m with trees) to sweeping generalisations (the Llano Central should have at least three golf courses).
It’s also suggesting cutting back on the investment, having realised that Andalucia is broke and that nobody wants to come here any more. For example, the document suggests not building any new roads but instead putting a bus service in place. Hmm. So more traffic jams on the horizon, I take it.
I wasn’t sure if I should publish it, but I spotted that the document claims that:
la participación de los ciudadanos y de la sociedad civil en su conjunto en la planificación y ordenación del territorio es imprescindible para cambiar el orden de las cosas, dado que la solución no la pueden aportar únicamente los técnicos ni los políticos directamente implicados. La ciudadanía ha de contribuir a la democratización del urbanismo. (their bolds)
Sounds like a license to print a leaked document if ever I heard one. Here it is:
POTALA conclusiones (.pdf 882 kb)
There is an application window open for anyone who wishes to submit feedback on the plans, until the 15th of January. Interested parties who don’t mind their carefully thought out emails being swept into the spam folder can email someone called Alberto A. Marin Marin who is charge of the project at albertoa.marin@juntadeandalucia.es or call him on 950 011 207. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to hear from you.
The rest of the Great Unwashed (I include myself) can discuss this nonsense using the comment form below.