Alhaurín el Grande wants to protect its Sierra and calls for natural park status

The protection of the natural environment has become a top priority for Alhaurín el Grande town hall, which has taken a firm step forward by approving the proposal to declare the Sierra de Mijas-Alpujata a natural park. It is an initiative that has been on the table for years. Its approval comes at a particularly symbolic moment, coinciding with the third anniversary of the great fire that devastated the area.

The request, which will be sent to the Junta de Andalucía's regional government's department of sustainability, environment and blue economy, is part of a strategy shared with other municipalities in the area: Malaga, Torremolinos, Mijas, Benalmádena, Coín and Alhaurín de la Torre, which have already supported this measure in previous years. The objective is clear - protect the environmental, landscape and economic values of the green lungs of the metropolitan area.

According to councillor for the environment Teresa Sánchez, declaring the Sierra de Mijas a natural park will protect the important water reserve in the subsoil and benefit the production of local products.

Mayor Anthony Bermúdez said that the measure responds to a clear political line: to make economic and urban development compatible with the protection of the natural environment.

However, not all political parties in the municipality support this decision. Right-wing party PP voted against the initiation of the proceedings, considering them a hasty measure. "We want to make it clear that we are not opposed to the protection of the environment, on the contrary: we firmly believe in the need to preserve our nature," the party's statement said. "What we do reject is the initiation of a dossier without knowing with certainty which areas will be affected, what implications it will have for the development of the municipality, what uses will be limited or what real benefits will be obtained. There has been no technical study or planning to support this proposal."

According to the PP, such a decision must be taken with consideration for and the participation of those that earn a living in the mountains. The party's statement says that such an action has not been undertaken until now for a reason: "because the damages were much greater than the benefits".