When coastal development and conservation collide: Els Muntanyans,
Torredembarra
There are economic benefits and environmental
costs to coastal development which influence the success of the development
equation. Els Muntanyans on the Costa Dorada provides a case study where the
costs are perceived to outweigh the benefits and coastal development pressures
have been reduced by recent court action (February 2008).
Els Muntanyans, Torredembarra (February 2008)
Planning permission has been given for the
construction of 550 homes, parks and facilities covering 173,900 m² on the edge
of coastal marshland and dunes at Els Muntanyans in Torredembarra. The Els
Muntanyans beach is the last remaining large natural beach on the Catalan coast
between the Llobregat Delta to the south of Barcelona and the Ebro Delta.
The development, a second phase of construction at the site, designated Els
Muntanyans II, is located at the mouth of the Gibert torrent and covers the
biological corridor that connects the adjacent beach and Protected Natural Area
of Interest (PEIN), with the protected rural interior.
The Government Directorate General of Coasts recognised the importance of the
biological corridor in a 2001 report, which recommended the purchase of the land
together with the adjacent Muntanyans I site, and its incorporation into the PEIN Plan. However, the Torredembarra Town Council through Pla
Partial Platja de Torredembarra 4b Muntanyans II, has promoted housing
development in the area.
The housing at Els Muntanyans I is advertised as a good location for a second
home: 'Una segunda residencia diseñada con el confort de su primera residencia'
(a second home designed to be as comfortable as your main residence). The
development is now nearly completed and construction of Els Muntanyans II has
started (February 2008).
Promoter Els Muntanyans I: Grupo Plaza 14 and Torredembarra Town Council
Promoter Els Muntanyans II: Vegas Guadaira S.L. and Torredembarra Town Council
Locations of Muntanyans I and Muntanyans II
Els Muntanyans I - Nova Torredembarra - the first
construction phase.
Currently near completion (February 2008).
Els Muntanyans I - Nova Torredembarra Promoter's Model
The Els Muntanyans development has been opposed
on environmental and social grounds, and its impact includes a number of
external costs borne by society as a whole. The environmental and social costs
can be summarised as follows:
Environmental Costs
Loss of an area with high ecological value as representing the
continuity of natural space included in the Protection of Spaces of Natural
Interest (PEIN). The PEIN Plan (1992)
established new Natural Parks and selected a number of other natural areas that
link the Parks together to form a Green Ring around Barcelona. The Plan protects
biological corridors connecting the twelve most important natural areas thus
contributing to the preservation of wildlife diversity.
Elimination of the only remaining biological connector on the
coast of northern Tarragona linking the rural interior and coastline.
Possible alteration of the water dynamics in the protected
zone, caused by runoff from the urbanisation. The increase in freshwater input
to the system can unbalance soil salinity with subsequent modification of
existing vegetation.
Canalisation of the Gibert torrent (February 2008)
The canalisation of the Gibert torrent may reduce the supply of
fresh water to the coastal wetlands, resulting in a water deficit.
Increased population pressures will lead to erosion and loss of
biodiversity. The development lies just 50 metres from the protected zone and an
estimated 1,500 people a day will cross the area to access the beach during the
holiday season.
High Flood Risk
Flood at El Muntanyans (September 2005)
A study carried out by Risknat, of the University of Barcelona, concluded that the
El Muntanyans II is in a high risk flood zone. Canalisation of the Torrent
Gibert will not stop the flood risk since the direction of the waters of Torrent
Gibert "are uncontrollable and the nature of the terrain directs them
towards the planned housing development".
The action group Salvem Els Muntanyans (Save Els Muntanyans) and Greenpeace
arranged a news conference in September 2005 to present a video report showing
Els Muntanyans II completely flooded during storms that struck the Catalan coast
earlier that month.
The Gibert torrent is categorised by the Catalan Government
Water Agency as of high flood risk, with significant damage likely to housing
and infrastructure during storm events.
An increased numbers of visitors to the El Muntanyans site will
reduce its recreational and leisure value as an oasis of wilderness on a very
crowded coast.
The Actors
Groups For
Company Vegas Guadaira S.L.
Torredembarra Town Council
At the end of January 2008, the Catalan Parliament approved
increasing the area protected under the PEIN plan at the Muntanyans II site in
Torredembarra. The Torredembarra Town Council has asked the promoter of
Muntanyans II to halt the works for three months.
A criminal complaint has been lodged by a member of Salvem Els Muntanyans
against the mayor of Torredembarra, and his predecessor in the post. Both mayors
are accused of having allowed an urban project that can destroy a wetland zone.
The mayor of Torredembarra has announced that he will abstain in any future vote
referring to Muntanyans II.
Background
Urbanisation is almost continuous along the entire 672
kilometres of Catalan coastline. Between 1981 and 2001, the construction of
houses along the coast grew at double the rate of population. The population
increased by 36%, whereas the number of houses increased by 60.5%. Half of the
houses are second homes, with the highest percentages in the Costa Dorada
(71.3%), and the Costa Brava (64.6%).
Saturation point has evidently been reached: there are now 75
coastal municipalities where practically 100% of the land is urbanised. In a
further 30, the figure is 75%. Catalonia has one yachting marina for every 10
kilometres of coastline - which rises to one every 5 kilometres in the Costa
Dorada.
The Spanish Government is finally fighting back against the
coastal concrete and its 'Strategy for Coastal Sustainability' (2007) aims to
buy up unoccupied coastal land, recategorise as protected areas land already
approved for construction, and demolish buildings and recreational ports that
occupy public beaches. The plan also demands the enforcement of an existing law
that requires the first 100 metres of shore be kept free of all construction.
All in all, the proposal is expected to cost €5 billion and to affect more
than 400 miles of coastline.
New legislation in Catalonia has established a system of
protection for non-urbanised land located within 500 metres of the sea in 50
coastal zones. This affects 23,500 hectares of coastline.
