Council defeats opposition to new golf course

THE Palma city council defeated three proposals to halt plans to build two golf courses and two new hotels at Son Averso, near Son Sardina.
The ruling conservative Partido Popular (PP) voted against the proposals by the three opposition parties, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), United Left/Greens (EU-EV) and the Majorcan Socialist Party (PSM). During a fierce debate, the opposition based their arguments on urban pressure, the amount of land which will be affected and the risk of speculation.
Both the EU-EV and the PSM claimed that the project for a golf course and two hotels will be in exchange for an area of 70'000 square metres which will be a municipal pitch and put green, and that personal interests are involved. This was denied by the PP. The PSOE claims that plans infringe the Council of Majorca's development plan, which does not contemplate a project of this type.
The PSM spokesman Pere Muñoz said that the golf course and the hotels (with 500 and 120 beds) goes against an agreement singed in 2003 by the PP and the Majorcan Union (UM), which specified that these two aspects of the project would not be approved. But Rodrigo de Santos, the planning councillor, said that this particular project had not been included in the agreement with the UM.
Palma already has golf courses at Son Muntaner and Son Vida, with others under construction at Puntiró and Son Gual, as well as an extension to Son Muntaner.