The environment minister, Vicenç Vidal, faces a criminal lawsuit over a government revision of the water resources plan and its impact in Alcudia.
The nub of the issue concerns development permissions in the lakes and canals area of Puerto Alcudia which date back to before 1985. The water resources plan now defines land that was consolidated as having been for urban development as wet zones. This whole area was built on land that was reclaimed from the Albufera wetland, some of which still exists.
Legal representatives say that the government has ignored various appeals, submissions and reports that have been presented by companies that are affected. A redefinition of the boundaries of the wet zones will now produce claims for damages that will run into millions of euros.
As well as Vidal, the director-general of water resources, Joana Maria Garau, has been cited, and it is not being ruled out that lawsuits will be taken against Alcudia's mayor and councillor for urban planning as well. They, it is said, have been fully aware of the consequences of the revision.
Among the parties who are affected by this are the municipal swimming pool, Hidropark, the Club Mac hotels, the Lagomonte Hotel and two supermarkets.
The precise ramifications of this revision are not as yet being clarified other than that affected businesses stand to lose the value of their assets. By implication, at its most extreme, this suggests that some business activity could no longer continue. The courts seem destined to be very busy.
The revision itself is specific in that identifies businesses on one side of the Avenida Tucan (Club Mac and Hidropark) and a plot on the other side which was levelled for prospective supermarket use, on the Via Corneli Atic (Lidl and the swimming pool), and Lagomonte by the Lago Menor. The residential areas are not covered by this, and the revision does not extend further, e.g. to include Bellevue.
