PEOPLE power has forced Los Montesinos council into a quick reversal of its decision to offer up free land to house a biowaste recycling plant serving the Vega Baja region.
Over a thousand protestors took to the streets of the Alicante province town on July 30 to voice their opposition to the plans.
The demonstration was the largest seen in the 5,000 population municipality since the days of it trying to gain independence from Almoradi- something it achieved in 1990.
JULY 30 DEMO
Fears over possible smells and increased numbers of lorries on local roads were the main reasons for the objections.
There was anger as well that there was no public consultation over the offer to site the plant on the Levante II industrial estate.
Los Montesinos council will now hold an extraordinary plenary session to void its original approval taken at a council plenary on July 10.
Before that, residents were in the dark over talks and a deal struck between mayor Jose Manuel Butron and the Vega Baja Sustainable Consortium
Land covering 3,500 m2 had been allocated on the industrial estate for the facility which would have cost €4 million to build.
The plant would have recycled 4,400 tonnes of food waste per year with Los Montesinos council getting a €3 payment per tonne plus an annual €22,500 fee for ‘environmental improvements’.
The council u-turn now leaves the Vega Baja region consisting of 20-plus municipalities without a site for the plant and time ticking on European funding running out- worth around €1 million.
The public rejection in Los Montesinos now makes it politically difficult for other councils to offer up land without facing loud opposition.
The neighbouring Rojales municipality had previously expressed an interest on offering some land near Quesada.
