The complaint calls for intervention by the General Directorate of State Assets. According to the complainants, the project may affect land belonging to the state, particularly near the El Veril or La Maleza ravines. The planning process, they argue, treats the land as if it were under single private ownership, despite a significant portion likely belonging to the state.
The project, backed by the Kiessling family who operate the successful Siam Park in Tenerife, envisions a waterpark, hotel and public green spaces on a large plot between the GC-1 motorway and the tourist zone of Playa del Ingles.
Siam Park in Tenerife, the model for the Gran Canaria project, is itself under pressure: the resort has recently been ranked among the most disappointing tourist attractions in the world. For Gran Canaria, the question increasingly is: is this project still worth pursuing?
The history of this project is one of endless delays. Construction was originally planned to begin in 2016. Since then, the Loro Parque group has claimed over 122 million euros in damages from San Bartolome de Tirajana town council for lost profits and investment costs.
Engineers have refused to sign off on permits, as the planned site sits in a ravine with an active watercourse. Following the devastating floods in Valencia, sensitivity around construction in flood-risk zones has risen sharply.
At best, construction could begin in roughly two years, if all legal hurdles are cleared. Many observers doubt whether it will ever happen.
Source: Maspalomas24h, Canarian Weekly, Tenerife Weekly