Plans for another 954 homes at Mil Palmeras have exposed an unusual disagreement inside the Generalitat over how much scrutiny one of Orihuela Costa’s longstanding developments should face.
Minutes from meetings of the Environmental Assessment Commission reveal differing views between senior planning and environmental officials over the conditions that should apply before the B-1-A development moves towards final approval.
At the centre of the argument were questions familiar to anyone following development on Orihuela Costa: how much more land should Orihuela urbanise, what infrastructure needs to be considered first and how far environmental safeguards should go.
The Generalitat’s own planning documentation confirms that the Mil Palmeras development has been moving through the system in different forms for many years. This includes a provisional approval in 2013 and subsequent environmental assessment procedures.
What is planned at Mil Palmeras?
The B-1-A sector covers around 160,000 square metres in the southern part of Orihuela Costa.
Plans allow for up to 954 homes and an estimated population of around 2,400 people on land behind the existing seafront development.
It is hardly a new project. Its planning history stretches back decades, with successive versions facing environmental and infrastructure requirements along the way.
The latest dispute emerged as officials considered its Strategic Environmental and Territorial Declaration, an important step in the planning process.
Environment officials wanted more information first
At a commission meeting on 6 February, the Generalitat’s Strategic Environmental Assessment department argued for a more cautious approach.
It wanted Orihuela council to carry out a study examining undeveloped land and all land urbanised since the Valencian Community’s Territorial Strategy came into force in 2011.
The purpose was to establish how much development capacity Orihuela still has and whether Mil Palmeras fits within the municipality’s calculated growth limit of 1.77 million square metres.
Environmental officials also wanted relevant reports covering matters including the coast and roads.
Planning officials took a different view.
They questioned whether such a wide-ranging study should be required for this individual development and argued that several sector-specific reports could be requested before final approval without holding up the environmental assessment itself.
The commission ultimately sent the proposal back for revision.
‘Obtain’ or simply ‘request’?
Mil Palmeras returned to the commission just 20 days later, on 26 February.
This time, officials agreed to issue the environmental declaration, but not before another disagreement over some rather important wording.
María Ballesteros Benavent, head of Strategic Environmental Assessment, proposed requiring favourable reports from the authorities responsible for roads and the coast.
Emilio Argente Hernández, deputy director general for Urban Planning and Territory, argued that the condition should instead require those reports to be requested.
The distinction matters.
Requiring a favourable report would mean obtaining the relevant authority’s approval. Requiring the developer or administration to request one allows the planning process to continue while the report follows the timetable established under the applicable legislation.
Other senior urban planning officials supported the latter position, leaving the Environmental Assessment department alone in arguing for the stronger requirement.
The disagreement did not stop the environmental declaration going ahead.
Protected plants add another complication
Development is not the only consideration at Mil Palmeras.
The site contains jarilla cabeza de gato, a protected plant species found along this part of the Mediterranean coast.
Officials also discussed how areas containing the plant should be treated within the development, including questions over their designation as green space.
That sits alongside other unresolved considerations involving roads, coastal land, water resources and infrastructure.
Should Orihuela reconsider how much land it develops?
Perhaps the most significant part of the commission’s conclusions goes beyond these 954 proposed homes.
The commission advised Orihuela council to look at its wider development model and establish a coherent order for developing existing and future urbanisable land.
It also raised two potentially substantial options: declassifying some development land or revising Orihuela’s General Plan.
That plan dates from 1990.
For residents of Orihuela Costa, the debate therefore reaches well beyond one development at Mil Palmeras. It touches on a much bigger question about how a municipality that has experienced decades of rapid residential growth plans what comes next.
The 954 homes have not received final planning approval simply because the environmental declaration has progressed. Further requirements and stages remain before the development can reach that point.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- The B-1-A Mil Palmeras development proposes up to 954 homes in Orihuela Costa.
- The sector covers around 160,000 square metres and could accommodate roughly 2,400 residents.
- Senior Generalitat officials disagreed over conditions attached to its environmental assessment.
- Environmental officials wanted a wider study of Orihuela’s development capacity and stronger requirements for sector reports.
- Planning officials argued that some reports could simply be requested before final approval rather than obtained beforehand.
- The project ultimately received its Strategic Environmental and Territorial Declaration.
- Protected jarilla cabeza de gato plants are among the environmental issues affecting the site.
- The commission has also advised Orihuela to consider its wider development model, including possible changes to its General Plan.
