A major milestone for the Alagoas Brancas wetland in Lagoa has been announced this Friday morning
Lagoa Municipal Council has announced that it has purchased the land on which the Alagoas Brancas wetland area – which for years faced the threat of development – is located on.
The deed of purchase of the land was signed on Thursday (June 27), transferring the property from Edifícios Atlântico, S.A. to the local council for €3.67 million.
The local authority has thus lived up to its promise to take over the land after signing a collaboration protocol with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Action at the end of 2023, which foresaw the provision of government funding for the land acquisition via the Environmental Fund (Fundo Ambiental).
Says the local council, the negotiation process “spanned several months, with numerous efforts to reach an agreement, culminating in yesterday’s purchase.”
“The government’s involvement was crucial in concluding these negotiations,” the council adds.
Meanwhile, the local authority revealed that municipal technicians have been “working for months on the Natural Park project” which is to be developed on the acquired land.
The case of Alagoas Brancas dates back to 2017, when local citizens and environmentalists joined forces to stop plans to build over the beloved wetland area. The biggest obstacle to efforts to protect the area was that the wetland was located in a lot that had been designated as an “economic activity expansion zone” in Lagoa’s urbanisation plan, approved in 2008, making the developer’s plans essentially legal.
The efforts to save the wetland were led by the ‘Salvar as Alagoas Brancas’ movement, which was adamant that the plans could be stopped if authorities were willing to.
“Fortunately, through an understanding with the developer, which relinquished all their rights, the Lagoa Council reached an agreement to purchase the land and preserve that town area. In 2021, the current administration reclassified the area as rural land through the Municipal Master Plan (PDM), ensuring no future construction could take place there,” the council announced.
Meanwhile, the special occasion has been celebrated by Lagoa mayor Luís Encarnação.
“This is a moment of great satisfaction for me and my executive team, as we have resolved a longstanding issue. I believe Lagoa benefits from this decision, as we have addressed the situation without compromising the future of Lagoa and its residents,” the mayor said.
