Algarve Oncology Centre will provide crucial services to 3,500 patients annually
The municipal council of Loulé has unveiled a plan to push forward with the construction of the Algarve Oncology Centre.
The state-of-the-art health facility specialising in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment will provide crucial services to 3,500 patients annually, with a projected reach of 14,200 patients by 2029.
However, the project has been tangled in bureaucratic red tape which will require some major urban planning adjustments.
At a press conference this week, the local council revealed its strategy to modify the ‘Plano de Pormenor’ (Detailed Plan) for Parque das Cidades, where the Algarve’s future Central Hospital as well as the Oncology Centre are due to be built.
The reason is that the project presented to the local council by developers is in violation of the current plan as it exceeds current zoning limits, with the planned 7,154.25sqm facility surpassing the permitted 6,228sqm limit by over 900sqm. But Loulé’s leadership is determined to make it happen.
The issue was identified by urban planning officials at the local authority, with the solution being changing the detailed plan and mould it to the project’s requirements.
According to urban planning officials, the project’s backers knowingly submitted a proposal that clashed with existing regulations. However, the municipality was quick to act. Mayor Vítor Aleixo assured the public that they wasted no time in addressing the issue, offering a fast-track solution back in November 2024. Now, the city is taking a proactive stance, promising to amend the urban plan in just six to seven months.
“We were incredibly swift in assessing the situation and outlining a way forward,” Aleixo declared.
While the municipality is committed to making the necessary changes, final approval will depend on other government entities. Still, Aleixo made it clear: Loulé is ready to support whatever decision is taken by the Algarve’s Local Health Unit (ULS) to ensure top-tier oncology care reaches the people of Algarve.
The project, financed under the Algarve 2030 community funding programme as part of the broader Portugal 2030 initiative, represents a €12 million investment, with €8 million due to come from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the remaining €4 million provided by the Algarve University Hospital Centre (CHUA).
According to the Algarve’s regional development commission (CCDR Algarve), the project is part of a larger effort to provide vital cancer treatment to thousands of cancer patients in the Algarve and Alentejo, who currently must travel around 300 kilometres to Lisbon or Seville (Spain) to receive the care they need.
Beyond its immediate healthcare benefits, the centre is expected to foster research in oncology, drawing qualified professionals to the region and boosting the Algarve’s role in medical innovation, CCDR Algarve adds.
