Ninety chalets at the foot of Cap de Creus threaten the coastal path from Llançà to Port de la Selva.

GironaThe Llançà and Port de la Selva coastal path, approximately 5 km long, connects these two seaside towns at the foot of Cap de Creus, passing by well-sheltered coves, rugged cliffs, and the point of Far de s'Arnella. At many points, the path borders small residential areas and chalets built in the last century, before the coastal law, but it also passes through several unspoiled stretches, without a single house in sight. On one of these natural plots, on a slope of the Sant Pere de Rodes mountain range, next to the last buildings in the urban area of Llançà, the Lanzarote City Council has given the go-ahead to build 90 homes. This is the Super Fener area, which occupies nine plots of approximately 8 hectares, next to the boundaries of the natural park. The council has obtained the approval of the relevant bodies, and the first excavators have already begun work to prepare the land. SOS Costa Brava and Iaeden-Salvem el Empordà, however, have shown themselves radically opposed to this new real estate development: they claim that their objections have not been taken into account and threaten to file an administrative lawsuit with the aim of halting the works.

"It makes no sense to build a new housing development next to Cap de Creus, with earth retaining walls up to 4 meters high and on an area with a steep slope, exceeding the maximum of 20% and without suitable plot conditions," argues Josep Ciurana, a member of Iaeden-Salvem. He continues: "Llançà has already exhausted all its development capacity, and in addition, the Super Fener chalets are second homes; they do not provide a solution to any housing problem. The City Council wants to push ahead with a project planned in the 1970s without taking into account that the criteria for urban development have changed." To express their discontent, nature conservation organizations demonstrated last week alongside the excavators leveling the land, carrying banners reading "To build is to destroy."

Project approved in 2013 according to the POUM of 2002

The Super Fener development was approved by the Llançà City Council in 2013, which granted a building permit to the owners of the plots in question, in accordance with the regulations of its urban planning plan (POUM), which dates back to 2002, when environmental assessments were not yet mandatory. "The City Council's obligation is to respect the owners' right to complete a development of nine houses that was left unfinished, and now it will be properly equipped with all its access points, lighting, and connections," explains Francesc Guisset, Councilor for the Technical and Economic Area of the Llançà City Council. He concludes: "All processes have been carried out within the legal framework, preserving nature reserves and the rights of the owners, with favorable reports from the Catalan Water Agency, Urban Planning, and the natural park. Time has been given for the objection procedures, but the project is now underway, so it is no longer the time to make objections."

The City Council's explanations, however, do not convince environmentalists at all, who claim that all the procedures, permits, and approvals have been carried out using "obsolete" regulations and planning. This is the argument of Eduard de Ribot, a lawyer for SOS Costa Brava: "We must adapt the Llançà POUM because it allows for absolutely excessive urban growth; it allows for the development of the entire municipality except in protected areas, including slopes, forests, and high-value natural spaces," argues De Ribot, who adds that "we cannot develop a 2013 project without preparing an updated environmental report, as if the only thing that needs updating over the years is the lighting equipment, pipes, and installations."

The threat of new developments in the area

Environmentalists also fear that the Super Fener development could be the first step in a chain of buildings that will reach Port de la Selva and turn the coastal path into a promenade lined with apartments. In fact, the Llançà City Council is also considering the classification of the Roses 2 plots, a few meters further down the road, near the sea, to build around thirty homes. The Port de la Selva City Council, for its part, is also considering modifying its urban planning to expand the developments near the s'Arnella lighthouse, on Cap de Vol beach.