Mayor would 'reject' plans for recycling complex near popular Malaga tourist attraction

Following the announcement in November that Vicente Campos, mayor of Canillas de Aceituno in the Axarquía area of Malaga province, knew nothing about plans to build a recycling complex just outside the village, he has now said that the town hall “will reject and vote against this project, whose installation, although legal and having initiated the procedures for its probable installation in Canillas de Aceituno, does not bring any value to our village”.

According to the mayor, “In recent days, we have been carefully analysing this project in depth, understanding that it does not bring any benefit to Canillas de Aceituno, its location in our village not being feasible.”

In his opinion, Canillas de Aceituno has been developing as a model for sustainable tourism, “as attested by the numerous awards we have won, our inclusion in the association Pueblos Mágicos de España [magic villages of Spain] and the fact that we have El Saltillo suspension bridge, which currently places us at the forefront of healthy inland tourism in the Axarquía, being one of the most visited villages in the area”.

Campos explained that in 2019 the Vélez-Málaga based company Altos de Canillas S. L. issued a report on the compatibility of the land on which the complex is planned. In that document, a town hall worker “said that it could be done, but that is neither a yes nor a no from the town hall,” Campos said in statements to Cadena Ser radio in the Axarquía. The mayor stressed that if the time comes to process the town hall’s declaration of public interest, Canillas de Aceituno councillors will oppose it.

However, the opposition socialist PSOE group requested information from the Partido Popular (PP) government team in the town hall regarding the 2019 report. “The mayor and the PP have been untruthful with this project. Despite having knowledge of this project since 2019 and having received information in October 2024 from the Junta de Andalucía, the mayor stated in a neighbourhood meeting and to media such as Diario SUR that he had no information, they said.

In November Campos claimed that he knew “the same as the neighbours” and said that when he saw the report, he would “make a statement”. According to the PSOE, “This contradicts official documents that confirm his knowledge for years. Furthermore, the fact that he signed in 2019 a certificate declaring the urban compatibility of the project shows that the town hall has not been transparent with the citizens."

In November Spanish and foreign residents in Canillas de Aceituno and surrounding villages formed a group called ‘Proteja Canillas de Aceituno’ (protect Canillas de Aceituno) and created a website and social media pages to voice their concerns about the planned complex, in Spanish and English.

The group started a petition in November which now has over 1,400 signatures and they have echoed the PSOE’s words about the 2019 report. In a statement they said they were “outraged after new evidence has come to light, proving that mayor Vicente Campos has been aware of the controversial landfill and recycling centre project since 2019”.

The statement went on to say, “This revelation directly contradicts his public statements denying any knowledge of the project, made as recently as November 2024.” The group’s concerns include the impact the complex would have on the local environment, wildlife, tourism and the community.