Environmental Objections Threaten Torrevieja Hospital Expansion Plan

Environmental advocates have raised concerns over a proposed expansion of housing near Torrevieja’s salt lagoon, arguing that the development would impose an "unbearable burden" on the municipality. Friends of the Southern Alicante Wetlands (AHSA) has formally objected to Amendment 116 of Torrevieja’s General Plan and the associated Partial Plan for Sector S-29 La Ceñuela.

They are seeking to maintain the 29-hectare site as non-developable land. However, blocking the project could impact plans for Torrevieja Hospital’s expansion and upgrades to nearby roads. The development envisions about 1,350 homes, possibly accommodating up to 3,300 new residents near the lagoon. AHSA contends that the project would have severe environmental and territorial consequences for the protected wetland, its surroundings, and the coastal green infrastructure linking significant natural areas.

They label the development "manifestly unsustainable" and argue that it would disrupt a regional green corridor and cross several shallow ravines and natural drainage channels leading to the lagoon. The environmental group asserts that the site forms part of a broader green corridor and is vulnerable to geomorphological hazards, as identified in the Valencian flood-risk plan, PATRICOVA.

AHSA has criticized the inclusion of conventional facilities, such as educational infrastructure, in areas designated for environmental protection. They also question the municipality's reliance on an outdated 1986 General Plan, suggesting that a new plan would likely prevent additional land from being reclassified for development, thus obstructing major projects like La Ceñuela and Sector 20 La Hoya.

Torrevieja’s PP-led government asserts that the project has been awaiting approval for over 20 years and would provide land for Hospital expansion and widen a section of the CV-95 road. However, AHSA insists that the project should be rejected to protect the environment and preserve the ecological connection between wetlands and natural areas.