Costa de Almería
Final offer to be made to Algarrobico owner this week
By m.p.
Mar 3, 2008 - 5:55 PM

A meeting takes place this Wednesday, where both the Environment Ministry and the Junta de Andalucía hope to reach agreement with Azata, the company which owns the controversial partially-built Algarrobico Hotel in Carboneras, at the edge of the Cabo de Gata natural park.

The Junta de Andalucía’s environment chief, Fuensanta Coves, said a ‘definitive joint offer’ will be made at the meeting which, if accepted by Azata, she said, will mean that the process towards demolishing the hotel will be able to be speeded up. She gave no details of the amount to be offered, but told EFE that a valuer has been called in to give a valuation of the land on which the hotel stands. The Environment Ministry said some time ago that they could offer up to 40 million €, while Azata is believed to be claiming 300 million €, EFE said.

The Environment Minister, Cristina Narbona, was meanwhile in Almería province on Sunday. She told journalists that she will ‘immediately’ demolish the part of the structure which stands within the 100 metre coastal protection zone, should Azata’s appeal against the 100 metre limit be turned down by the National Court. It was set at that distance by a Ministerial order in 2005.

Narbona also said that the aim of Wednesday’s meeting is to reach an agreement.