Five new solar farms are being considered for placement in the surrounds of the Lagunas de La Mata and Torrevieja Natural Park, as well as the Hoyo Serrano and area later this year.
About to be put on public display, the plants are “Pedrera solar” (13 hectares), “Serrata solar” (12) and “Abanilla solar” (5) -all of them in Algorfa-, as well as “Torrevieja” (8, 3) and “Los Montesinos” (11.2), which are added to those that have already passed the public information process: “La Juliana 1 and 2” (62.4 hectares), “Lo Capitán” (13.5 ) and Casteles (5.5).
In total, there are nine plants in the same area: the eight above that require authorisation from the Generalitat plus “Vega del Segura” (270 hectares), which is under state jurisdiction.
In just one month, seven new planning requests have been submitted in Vega Baja taking the number of projects from 25 to 32.
Virtually all of the planning applications will be contested by a variety of environmental and neighbourhood groups, so at this stage none are a foregone conclusion.
The Orihuela City Council is objecting against the Torremendo and Sierra Escalona solar plant since “it irreparably affects the town”. They say it will mean the occupation of 361,236 square meters in the northwest of the district, directly affecting urban planning, its development and growth, and even invading urban land to the extent that it is adjacent to some of the streets.
More than 500 signatures objecting to the project have already been collected by local residents.
