Calvia council accused of “eco crime” in Sta Ponsa

THE socialists in the Calvia town council are accusing Carlos Delgado, the Partido Popular Mayor, of allowing a tennis competition to be carried out on the Santa Ponsa beach without the necessary authorisation from the coastal authority. Antoni Manchado, the Socialist party (PSOE) spokesman in Calvia, complained that the town council allowed what he described as an “ecological crime” to take place by permitting a tennis competition last June without the necessary permits. This complaint was made to the Balearic Supreme High Court's environmental department.
Manchado claims that the Coastal Demarcation Department had authorised the celebration of the Balearic Island tournament, as long as the town council fulfilled a series of conditions, which they did not. A concrete base was installed on the beach to act as a base for the tennis courts. “In our opinion, after consulting with several experts, this concrete spillage could have contaminated the sand on Santa Ponsa beach throughout the rest of the summer”, Manchado said. “The concrete can be seen as breaking the prevailing Penal Code, as the Public Administrations are obliged to preserve and look after the Public Domain Zones, according to the Coastal Law”, added Manchado. “Activities like a tennis tournament, can improve the image of Calvia as a tourist destination, providing we do not damage the most important parts of our heritage, that is, the beaches and the landscape”, he added.