CCDR back solar valley despite public outcry
There’s been quite a bit of outcry from Loule householders in regards to ‘irregularities and omissions’ behind a massive solar farm located in Morgado de Apra. Despite all the outcry however, the Commission for Regional Coordination and Development – CCDR – maintains that everything is legal and above board.
According to CCDR there are ‘no facts’ that could lead to a complaint on environmental grounds against the solar farm. This means that the complaints of the Loule residents have been rejected, but the fight is not likely to stop here.
This story however, has been widely reported in local newspapers, the Internet and TV, with residents having presented their complaints to both the national Ombudsman as well as the European Commission.
Somewhat incredibly, local mayor Vitor Aleixo admitted to Lusa news agency that the situation might be one in which the laws have been adhered to, but this doesn’t mean that there will not be any harmful consequences to the local population.
He continued saying that no one who chose to live in such a beautiful place, rich in terms of natural beauty, could have expected to be faced with a massive photovoltaic centre that spoils that view and the surrounding countryside.
According to at least one householder involved in the fight, at certain times in the day the reflection off the farm is akin to having millions of mirrors pointed at your house.
The woes of the locals do not end with the solar farm however, because it appears that it may be soon joined by a wind farm. This stems from the complaint they filed to the Ombudsman in which they claim the consequences would have a direct impact upon the health and quality of life of the locals, leading to problems with sleeping, headaches, nausea, palpitations and vision issues.
