Residents of Las Chapas demand inspection of massive tree felling

Residents of the Marbella district denounce the removal of trees around the old Estrella del Mar hotel and demand precautionary measures.

The Las Chapas residents' association has sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Service of the Junta de Andalucía requesting an investigation into the massive tree felling in the vicinity of the old Estrella del Mar hotel. The residents want to verify whether the actions comply with the regulations for the protection of trees, as well as protected flora and fauna, at both the regional, national, and European levels.

Precautionary and compensatory measures

In the document, the residents request that, if irregularities are detected, precautionary and definitive measures be taken, including the suspension of works that may cause environmental damage "that is difficult or impossible to repair." They also request compensatory measures for the removal of trees and an assessment of the environmental impact.

The residents claim that the Marbella City Council has promoted an "intense urban transformation" in recent years, characterised by the near-total removal of trees to construct high-density buildings. This significantly reduces the area of green spaces in a district that contains a large part of the municipality's wooded areas.

“This process represents a very significant loss of established coastal Mediterranean pine forest, substantially altering the landscape, urban biodiversity, and environmental conditions of an area whose main residential value lies precisely in its wooded character,” the residents state in their letter.

70% of the buildable municipal area

According to calculations by the social entity Marbella Activa, 70% of the municipal area of Marbella, about 83 million square metres, already contains buildings or could accommodate new urban developments. Of the total 117 million square metres of land, 52 million are classified as urban, 12.5 million more than in the early 80s.

Of the 64 million square metres of remaining rustic land, about 30 million are suitable for urban developments. The entity warns that these actions “clash with the concept of garden city from the urban plan of 1986.”

For the residents of Las Chapas, the impact of these tree felling goes beyond the landscape: the loss of coastal pines affects biodiversity and the local climate, in an area where trees are a key residential attraction. They now hope that the Junta will act swiftly to halt what they consider irreversible environmental damage.