Torremolinos approves next planning stage for 1,000-home Los Álamos development

The council has approved the latest planning stage for the project on the site which borders the El Olivar residential area to the north, the AP-7 and MA-20 motorways to the south and south-east, and Cortijo de Maza to the west.

It also rejected objections to the plans and authorised mayor Margarita del Cid Muñoz to implement the amendment to the municipality's General Urban Development Plan (PGOU).

An environmental assessment carried out by the Andalusian regional government examined three options for the project, and the preferred option would replace much of the existing golf course with new sports facilities, including football, tennis and athletics, as well as walking trails alongside local streams.

They also include wider pavements, more green spaces and improvements to roads and unfinished public areas.

Most of the site would be used for housing, while the commercial areas are intended to provide local shops and services so residents don't have to travel as far for everyday needs.

The council has also argued that the original golf course proposal did not meet Andalucía's minimum size requirements for this type of development.

Although this marks the end of one stage of the planning process, the project is not yet fully approved.

Spain's Directorate General for Civil Aviation has warned that a lake planned for the golf course could attract birds and create a hazard for aircraft using the nearby airport. Meanwhile, the regional Culture Department has called for the historic Cortijo de Maza aqueduct to be preserved.

Once notice has been published in the Province of Malaga's Official Gazette, there will be a two-month period in which appeals can be lodged. The plans must then be approved by the full council and other public authorities before work can begin.