The mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, said on Wednesday that the Environment Minister “was misinformed” about the structure of Ourigo beach, and that this is a consequence of the “absolute incompetence” of the Portuguese Environment Agency ( APA). .
“Once again, the minister, with whom I have an excellent relationship, was misinformed,” said Rui Moreira, on the sidelines of a visit to the Campanhã Intermodal Terminal, which opens its doors today.
On Wednesday, Environment Minister Duarte Cordeiro said he was waiting for a response from the Porto Chamber on the agreement between the APA and the promoter of the structure on Ourigo beach.
The vice president of the APA, José Pimenta Machado, also confirmed that “the decision is to adapt that structure and remove it from the site“.
“We have a proposal, there is an understanding between the APA and the promoter and now we are waiting for the decision of the City Council,” he assured.
Asked about this matter, Rui Moreira assured that “there is nothing pending in the Chamber of Porto” and that the information provided by the minister is a “consequence of the absolute incompetence of the APA” in the resolution of the case.
“[A APA] has been here trying to shift the responsibility to others”, he underlined, assuring again that “there is nothing” in the Oporto Chamber.
“We were able to verify this yesterday [terça-feira] late at night and today we can guarantee that nothing is suspended in the Oporto Chamber”, he observed.
Saying that this is “a problem that the APA will have to solve”, Rui Moreira clarified that the municipality of Porto it only has the concession of that infrastructurethat belonged to the administration of the ports of Douro and Leixões, and that, in the framework of the transfer of powers, passed to the municipality.
The rest is the APA who has to undo the tie he got himself into. First, he authorized that work. So, I wanted to disavow it”, he added, and said that the municipality will wait “calmly” for “the APA to untie the knot it has tied”.
“I don’t know if the APA will allow that to be built, if not, if it will move, if not. We do not know anything. It’s not worth the APA holding the chamber accountable,” he said.
To the journalists, Rui Moreira reiterated that the municipality will not “order the demolition” of that infrastructure.
On July 1, APA told Lusa that it was in “talks” with the developer who intended to build a concrete structure on Ourigo beach. Beach club to find a solution “compatible with the defense of the coast”.
On October 27, 2021, the APA revealed that it had initiated a process “tending” to remove the concrete construction from Ourigo beach and reiterated that the demolition order was still “valid.”
at stake is the construction of a concrete beach support in Ourigo, which generated a wave of opposition and led various political forces to request the embargo of the work. On June 7, the APA ordered the suspension of the works and ordered the demolition of the equipment.
Moreira says that the people of Porto “will not pay” for the construction in Praia do Ourigo
The former Minister of the Environment and Climate Action, João Pedro Matos Fernandes, considered, on October 11, that the construction on the sand was “unacceptable”, and admitted that “the Ministry of the Environment and its administrative structures were also wrong in this process ” .
Reaffirming what he had already said in July 2021, the person in charge of the guardianship clarified that the the responsibility for the demolition rests with the APA.
The case led to the opening of two investigations into the actions of the entities involved in the homologation of concrete constructions, one of them in charge of the General Inspectorate of the Sea, Environment and Territorial Planning (IGAMAOT) which, in June, said that it filed said procedure because it considers that the APA triggered procedures aimed at reestablishing legality.
The document, however, points out inconsistencies in the actions of the Administration of the North Hydrographic Region (ARHN) and argues that the Administration of the Ports of Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo (APDL), which leased the space for 20 years I couldn’t have done it.
In addition to IGAMAOT, APA opened an internal investigation, about which, so far, it has not been possible to obtain information.
Initially, the APA had issued a favorable opinion conditional on the construction of this beach support, a decision that was revoked and communicated to the municipality of Porto on May 27.
In a statement dated May 31, the developer, who intended to build a Beach club on Ourigo beach, he warned that “if the aforementioned revocation purpose comes to fruition, it will constitute a cause for incalculable material and reputational damage that those responsible for it will necessarily have to bear.
Source: Observadora
