The Asociación de Turismo Rural del Valle de Lecrín is far from happy over plans to instal windfarms and solar-panel farms within the valley.

At a meeting following the fire on how recovery would be dealt with, they expressed their demands before representatives from the Central Government, the Junta de Andalucia, the Provincial Council, the Mancomunidad de Municipios del Valle de Lecrín, as well as representatives from local Town Halls: Padul, Villamena, Dúrcal, Nigüelas, Lecrín, El Valle, Albuñuelas and El Pinar.

They called for all necessary actions to restore the valley, if not to its original state, at least to the best degree possible.

Their opposition to green-energy electrial installations was explained by Isaías Padial who chairs the association: “We need for the Lecrín Valley to return to how it was and not so that trees be substituted for wind-powered electricity generators.”

That’s to say, they don’t oppose the advances of the 21st Century, nor the very necessary demand for electricity. “We are in favour of renewable energy but it’s not the same as putting a solar-panel farm in plain view; there are more concealed locations where they can be placed. The same goes for the windmill generators.

They consider that the Valle de Lecrín has enormous value because of its panoramic landscape with its orange & lemon groves, apple orchards, centenary olive trees and vineyards, all of which provides an excellent quality of life. All of these factors have contributed to a growing tourist industry, both national and international.

Between 2019 and 2020 the same association successfully carried out a campaign to stop high-tension lines crossing over the valley and the building of electricity substations, which ended up being quashed by the Junta de Andalucia.

(News: Valle de Lecrin, Granada, Andalucia)