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Recreation of the project of the port tower, designed by José Seguí. SUR
Central government shows its cards in relation to planned luxury hotel tower at Malaga Port
Planning

Central government shows its cards in relation to planned luxury hotel tower at Malaga Port

The Qatari investment fund Al Alfia and Spanish Hesperia hotel chain will be responsible for the 115-metre skyscraper and conference centre, if these finally get the go ahead

Chus Heredia

Malaga

Tuesday, 23 January 2024, 17:42

On Monday this week, Spain's national government, in a parliamentary response made public by political party Sumar, deflated the hopes of those who hoped the cabinet would knock back the Qatari hotel tower project in Malaga Port that was recently approved by the city hall.

“Its processing and approval has been carried out by the competent Administration in urban planning, in this case, Malaga city council,” indicated the parliamentary response, dated 9 January.

At this point, the government is limited to arguing that it will follow the pertinent administrative procedure and in accordance with the Ports Law, to make it's decision.

Another point on which the government declared itself is related to the port's historical heritage. The only building that could be affected is La Farola lighthouse. The government, in July 2023, said that the lighthouse’s “cadastral plot” is protected as a site of cultural interest.

IU Andalusian leader Toni Valero said: “We are working to avoid the attack on the landscape that the city council wants with the construction of a skyscraper in the port of Malaga.”

“Clearly, the construction of the skyscraper only responds to the speculative interests of the Qatari investment fund that is behind this operation and that is sponsored by the Popular Party. This skyscraper would not respond to the general interest at all, so the change in the use of port land for this speculative operation should not be approved by the government,” Valero said.

Processing

In November, the city council definitively approved the planning application with the sole votes of the Partido Popular. The PP challenged the opposition parties to stop the project in the central government procedures.

This put an end to an urban planning process that has gone on for five years in the municipal phase (since June 2018) and for seven since it was presented and the procedures started by the Port Authority of the city at the request of the Qatari investment fund Al Alfia and the Hesperia hotel chain, which will be responsible for the planned luxury hotel and conference centre, if these finally get the go ahead.

What has been completed is the municipal processing phase, which actually means that a building with the characteristics of the planned one can be built on the esplanade of the Levante dock (with a height of up to 150 metres, although the Qatari proposal reaches 116 metres), or another initiative, and for the Special Plan to have been changed, which until now did not allow such a level of construction.

Now, this administrative file will return to the Port Authority of Malaga, which will have to process it before the State Ports, and this, in turn, will submit it to Spain's Ministry of Transport. If necessary, this will be the body that will inform the Cabinet for its final approval.

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surinenglish Central government shows its cards in relation to planned luxury hotel tower at Malaga Port