The Sub-Delegate for Granada, José Antonio Montilla, who has been on the Costa Tropical recently, says that the compulsory-purchase amounts to be paid out are fair and not arbitrary.

This comes after Salobreña Town Council approved a motion to urge the relevant ministry to come to an accord with landowners over the price to be paid.

We did a recent article on the situation, if you would like to read it to get up to speed, but the essence is that in order to get the double-pipeline down from the Embalse de Rules to where it is needed, they have needed to dig up farming land.

Farmers claim that the price per metre being paid out for their land is in some case 80% less than what was paid out for land used to build the A-7.

The Sub-Delagate for the Central Government says that the calculated amounts are not a “political calculation” but rather the figures that surveyors and other experts have come up with. He added that anybody who does not agree with the amount offered can appeal against the decision and ask for reconsideration.

Editorial comment: first of all, land used for the A-7 was permanently lost to their original owners – there’s a bloody great motorway sat on it. On the other hand, the land used for the pipeline route is dug up, the pipeline laid, and it is all covered up. So the question is, are they permanently deprived of this land or will they be allowed to revert to farming it? Finally, is compensation for land loss or crop loss?

(News: Salobrena/Molvizar/Velez de Benaudalla, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

Tags: Pipeline, Embalse Rules, Water Distribution, Compulsory Purchase, Land, Unfair Amounts, Town Council

Reader’s comment: “This is a good point. If the land is lost by farmer or will it soon be returned? The valuation, if it is to be fair, should look at whether it was just unfarmed (left as scrub), annual crops or fruit trees. In the first case very little loss so minimal compensation, second case based on the reinstatement and loss of this years crop. Last case should be much higher compensation as fruit trees take many years to grow before a crop is viable.” – Paul Craddock