The construction of the La Tejita Beach Club Resort Hotel has resumed, as announced by the developer, Grupo Viqueira. This project was halted in May 2021 at the directive of the Ministry of Ecological Transition of the Canary Islands Government, a decision overturned by the Superior Court of Justice of Canarias (TSJC) on July 17, 2023, made final on December 18 last year.
This is one of the three judgments that the Canary Islands’ highest court issued between 2021 and 2023, endorsing the construction of this hotel and supporting the developer’s arguments. Since early yesterday, workers, trucks, and excavators have returned to continue the work, which is being carried out on consolidated urban land in the Costabella area, next to La Tejita beach, El Médano (Granadilla de Abona).
This five-star hotel is licensed for 833 beds in 342 rooms. It is authorised to have a built area of 38,107 square metres, with 26,758 that can be developed, and a maximum height of three storeys (10.4 metres). The building permit was granted on December 21, 2018, by the municipal government of Granadilla de Abona, under the leadership of Mayor Jaime González Cejas. Work began on May 29, 2019, with a deadline of two years (48 months) for completion, as per the issued permit.
Three judgments from the TSJC issued between 2021 and 2023 form the basis of the company’s decision
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Classified as five-star, the construction of the La Tejita Beach Club Resort Hotel will cost over 18.5 million euros, according to figures released at the start of the project. It was authorised while the Coastal Law of 2002 was in force. The revision of the maritime-terrestrial boundary of a 458-metre stretch between the Costabella Urbanisation (where the construction is taking place) and Punta del Bocinegro – a review requested in February 2018 by the associations Save La Tejita and ATAN – was approved on February 12, 2021. It stated that the strip of servitude is 20 metres and not the 100 proposed by the environmental groups.
The three judgments of the First Section of the Administrative Litigation Division of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) affirm that “the urban planning authorisation and license were in accordance with the demarcation of the maritime-terrestrial zone in force” at the time of granting (2018) and stress that “subsequently initiated demarcation cannot affect previously granted licenses”.
Spokespersons for Save La Tejita have publicly stated their view that the works continue to violate current regulations and maintain that they should not resume. The collective advocates for compliance with the legislation and announces that it will make decisions it deems appropriate once it has analysed the TSJC judgments on which the developer relies to restart construction of the La Tejita Beach Club Resort Hotel.
