Cover Photo Formentera, March 2015, Photo: Cat Milton
Green Gracio To Go? Sant Antoni seek permission to to urbanize Cala Gració,Gracioneta, Ses Variades an Sa Talaia Plans for 268 buildings up to 3 storeys high
Sant Antoni Council are looking at building development in the area north of the town including the areas of Ses Variades, broad tracts at the foot of sa Talaia, plua Cala Gració, Cala Gracioneta and an area of totally undeveloped rural land away from coastline. The plans propose development of 268 homes in buildings of up to three stories high. The proposal must go before the Consell for their consideration and approval. It is essentially a reclassification of land which the Insular Territorial Plan (PTI) currently categorises as rural land ‘Common Floor or Rustic Forest’, as much of the area is wooded.
Currently, Cala Gració and Cala Gracioneta have some scattered houses, mainly low-rise, set among pine forests, and away from major hotel developments relatively discreet in their impact of the natural surroundings. The controversial plans will allow the now free space between the current properties with new builds of up to 3 storeys, something critics say will irreversibly alter the entire area. To reclassify this space, the town hall have utilised legislation that has in itself a very controversial record in its use and application. The Rural Settlement (AMR) legislation was initiated by Regional Ministry Gabriel Company as a means of legalising existing properties that had been developed without sewers or licenses. The regulations will allow the area to be developed whereas the normal
regulations requiring mains sewerage as a pre-condition of any development, would have made development in this area unattractive due to the topology of the area and difficulty connecting to mains services. The new constructions in Cala Gració and Cala Gracioneta would not be required to connect to the mains sewers, as acknowledged by Town Planning councillor, José Torres, who has said they would only need septic tanks. The virgin land earmarked for development behind the two creeks that run into Cala Gració and Cala Gracioneta, covers an area of 153,257m2. The plans allow for municipal facilities and public space in addition to new homes..