A report by the director-conservator of the Southern Alicante Natural Parks has warned that construction on certain land in the La Ceñuela development at Torrevieja is incompatible with the rules protecting the Torrevieja and La Mata lagoons. The report, dated 13 October 2021, concerns land covered by the natural resources management plan for southern Alicante wetlands.

The affected area includes an 11,492-square-metre plot near Torrevieja University Hospital. It was initially intended for public educational facilities, but Torrevieja council is now offering the land to the Generalitat for a hospital expansion. The report says the protected area should not contain buildings and recommends natural restoration instead.

The La Ceñuela plan covers 291,644 square metres and proposes 1,347 homes for an estimated population of 3,367, alongside commercial uses, green areas and public facilities. Although the latest version has moved the proposed school sites elsewhere, it retains the hospital-related plot as land for multiple public facilities, subject to environmental planning rules.

Environmental group Amigos de los Humedales del Sur de Alicante has brought the report to light through objections to the plan. The group says the council and landowner began the process of transferring the hospital site without referring to the official’s findings or explaining that similar environmental criteria have influenced other decisions affecting the natural park.