The Malaka Ecologists group and several residents of the La Víbora Baja urbanization, in Marbella, have denounced damage to the Estrella del Mar dunebecause of a construction that is being carried out in the area, for which they request the stoppage of the works.
Thus, the green group has filed a complaint with the Department of the Environment and Territorial Planning of the Junta de Andalucía -to which this newspaper has had access-, in which it shows that “they are carrying out intense clearing work and removal of vegetation cover” in the remains of the existing fixed dune on Diego de Velázquez avenue.
As they point out, “the geological, geomorphological, environmental, dune characteristics, the location of its coastline and the action of the wind have generated the existence of dunes and interdune valleys on the coast of Marbella, and particularly in the area affected by the denounced clearing, by tertiary dunes” located in a space further from the coast, with “a height of about 25 meters”.
The document states that “they are fully stabilized dunes that they cannot continue advancing because they are surrounded by dense urbanizations and because an abundance of vegetation is consolidated on them, since the saline percentages are very low and the soil usually has a light layer of humus, which allows shrub species to grow, and even large trees”.
Natural habitats of community interest
In addition, it is noted that these dune remains are included within “the natural habitats of community interest”. so they highlight that in these spaces “The maintenance or, where appropriate, the restoration in a favorable state of conservation of the types of natural habitats and of the species in question must be guaranteed”, according to the Community Directive on the Natura 2000 network.
In this way, they denounce that both the Board and the City Council are “aware of the existence of habitats and protected fauna in this area, so they must take it into consideration when authorizing new residential uses, since its ecosystem characteristics alone accredit the concurrence of environmental values that are not compatible with urban uses and transformations”.
On the other hand, they highlight the doctrine of the Court of Justice of the EU, noting that it determines that “the soils affected by these environmental values must be considered as non-developable environmental protection”, for which they request an inspection to verify “the condition of habitats of community interest in the area affected by the works, paralyzing them immediately”.
Corina Nath is a resident of the area who has wanted to show her dissatisfaction with the impact on the plant mass, assuring that several residents of the area have reported the facts to the Prosecutor’s Office, including Nath herself, who has criticized that “they have destroyed all the vegetation and want to build massively”.
This resident of Marbella has lamented that as a result of the works she has been “for a whole year without being able to enter the garage”, which she has indicated that “it has been 3 years”, but “a month ago, in three days they have destroyed everything” , has referred to around the vegetation. At the same time, she has lamented that “they have cut down more than 60 pine trees now.”
“They are destroying the dune in a bad way”, has underlined the neighbor, who has criticized that “They have entered with bulldozers and have destroyed absolutely all the vegetation”, in addition to “all the birds”.
On the other hand, this newspaper has unsuccessfully tried to collect the Marbella Town Hall version.