Ecologists in Action has announced details of the arguments they have presented against the Environmental Impact Study prepared by the Building company intending to urbanize Cala Mosca, the last undeveloped coastal area of the Orihuela Costa.

The organization bases its opposition to the development of the project on a number of points including what it considers to be an erroneous assessment of the impacts of the project on protected species of fauna and flora, la cabeza de gato y la tudorella mauretánica.

It also says that the areas where these endangered species are dedicated to green and recreational areas would be "inconsistent with the conservation objective 'and the location of pedestrian paths and recreational areas.

The environmentalists conclude that there are too many flaws in the plan submitted by the developer and have therefore called for a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the plan so that the deficiencies can be properly identified.

Meanwhile, following on from the article published in last week's edition of The Leader ‘Support For Cala Mosca Revived', whilst applauding the actions of CLARO regarding their petition, one reader, Malcolm Drew, was critical of the lack of information held by staff in the Orihuela Costa Town Hall. He wrote “I was delighted to read that there is growing support for the protection of Cala Mosca.

However, two more signatures could have been added to the petition if somebody at the Orihuela Costa Town Hall had known anything about it when I called in there on the morning of the 11th August in accordance with C.L.A.RO's submission instructions as specified in local newspapers.

A woman at the right hand side reception desk looked mystified when she perused our completed petition form and also conferred with a colleague. She then directed me to the tourist Office where the woman there promptly directed me back to the reception desk! I gave up and left. This sort of thing has happened to me before at the town hall so it is probably a common occurrence. All the more reason for C.L.A.R.O. to have ensured this would not happen.”

Let's all hope that there were not too many other unsuccessful petitioners who suffered the same Bureaucratic outcome.

When the announcement was made that environmental objections against the proposed revised plans to build on Cala Mosca on the Orihuela Costa was made, there was concern that after years of fighting for its status as the last green area of coastline in ...

Thanks to the continuing wide public interest in saving Cala Mosca, the last green area on Orihuela Costa, from excessive and unnecessary house building, in a two week period the Petition organised by C.L.A.R.O. to object to the developer's latest pl...

Thanks to C.L.A.R.O.'s action in bringing the future of Cala Mosca before the European Parliament, there is now another opportunity for all those who hope to save this last green area on Orihuela Costa from the building of 1,500 new houses, to make the...

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Whilst political disagreements and legal arguments continue in Orihuela, the battle to protect what´s left of the natural landscape of the coastline continues, with the case for protecting Cala Mosca being heard once again before the European Par...

Orihuela mayor, Monserrate Guillen, appeared alongside Councillor Bob Houliston, in front of the European Parliament Committee on Petitions on Tuesday to whom he requested that an environmental impact statement be prepared on behalf of the proposed construction work at Cala Mosca

He said that the statement should insist that any work carried out on the site respects the area as a habitat of endemic species of flora and fauna which must not be threatened in any way.

Guillen referred in his testimony to the species 'jarilla' or 'cat head' and 'tudorella mauretanica', that have been protected both at European and at National level.

He also asked that the many other "interesting" species of wildlife and fauna be provided with equal protection with the protection of the coastal strip between Punta Prima and Rambla de Cala Mosca and that it be declared a 'microreserve flora'.

Guillen asked the commission to continue the proceedings with the environmental impact statement that is now required by urban developer who plans to build about 2,000 homes in this area as "the planned development projects” have not presented any statements regarding the impact the development will have on the local environment.

The Los Verdes MEP, Iñaki Irazabalbeitia Ale, also requested that the Commission asks the Government to send a letter in which they explain that the research process of the European Parliament will continue. The request was accepted by all groups represented in the committee.

Cala Mosca today is again the subject of a hearing before the European Petitions Committee, following a request made earlier this year by the ALE-Los Verdes MEP Iñaki Irazabalbeitia after her visit to the area as she continues offer her protecti...