The truth behind the latest development bid by disgraced Algarve eco-vandal Aprígio Santos has at last been revealed. He is said to be planning to sell out to China’s Wanda Group, described as the “world’s largest owner and operator of commercial real estate’.
National tabloid Correio da Manhã has today published an exclusive report which explains why the businessman with debts of over €598 million put in for permission to build two holiday villages and two VIP hotels on protected land that he owns fronting onto the sea in Quinta da Rocha, Alvor.
“It’s another Chinese mega-investment in Portugal,” writes the paper – failing to make any reference to the fact that in the case of Quinta da Rocha, development has been described as “legally inadmissible”.
Despite his massive debts, Santos still owns huge property concerns throughout Portugal – as well as well-known football club Naval 1º de Maio.
Wanda Group investors are already said to have flown over Santos’ various sites – which include Herdade de Monsaraz in Alqueva and Herdade do Morgado de Arge in Portimão – by helicopter.
But it is uncertain whether they know the checkered history of Quinta da Rocha, and how much environmentalists are prepared to go to protect it.
Santos put in for permission to develop the rolling rural estate into a VIP tourist resort late last year.
Environmentalists banding under the umbrella group known as GARdA were quick to point out that he has been successfully prosecuted for his relentless destruction of the wildlife haven – and that the ruling involves a permanent block on any activity in the protected areas.
In other words, no tourist development or indeed any other kind of development should be ever allowed on the site.
Nevertheless, Portimão Câmara is said to be “analysing” the project.
Talking to Público in February, Mayoress Isilda Gomes queried: “Does Portimão need more (tourist) beds or should priority be given to (land) requalification?”
Whatever the council decides, the legal ramifications will be enormous.
According to PROT (the regional land plan), Quinta da Rocha can only be urbanised on 0.85% of its 200 hectares. Added to that, it has been declared a ZTP (protected zone) which means no building can go ahead within 500 metres of the sea unless it is a public infrastructure ‘related to bathing or maritime support’.
In March 2014, the central administrative court of the south ruled in a landmark case that all activities in the protected areas should be suspended “forever”.
“There are huge environmental constraints,” long-term campaigner with the A Rocha conservation association Marcial Felgueiras agreed. “Things could go really wrong for anyone who buys this property.”
Felgueiras had not heard of Wanda Group’s alleged interest when we telephoned him on Monday, but he said he was “not in the least bit surprised”.
“This is what we always suspected,” he said, adding: “Santos made a big mistake when he paid what he did for the property.”
Santos bought Quinta da Rocha from millionaire businessman Joe Berardo for a reported €15 million. Berardo had purchased the property eight years before for just €2 million.
Santos clearly always thought he could bypass environmental laws. Indeed Público revealed in February that he proposes to call one of his tourist villages “Linária Algarviana” – the name of a protected plant in the region – which, the paper says, shows he is being “ironic”.
What happens next remains to be seen. While Portimão Câmara is duty-bound to reply to the many letters received against the development of Quinta da Rocha, Santos is described as entering a key phase of negotiations with his would-be Chinese investors.
“The amounts involved could reach a billion euros,” writes CM.
Meantime, GARdA told us back in February: “We are determined to fight this plan, and will go to court again if we have to.”
By NATASHA DONN natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
Photo: MICHAEL BRUXO/OPEN MEDIA GROUP
