Work begins on site of 430 new homes on Mazarrón beach
The land beside El Gachero is being cleaned up but several planning approvals are still needed before building can start
Work has begun to decontaminate the site of a planned 430-home development at playa de La Isla in Puerto de Mazarrón, almost a decade after the residential project was first announced.
The land, next to El Gachero and close to the lighthouse headland, was once home to the Santa Elisa lead foundry, which operated between 1886 and 1927.
The Regional Environment Department has described the current work as a voluntary clean-up being carried out by the landowner. Environmental technicians will monitor the work alongside the developer and Mazarrón Town Hall.
However, the clean-up doesn't mean construction of the homes is about to begin. Several reports from other authorities are still required before the development can be approved, including reports from the State Coastal Authority and the Regional Ministry of Infrastructure.
The planned residential complex would feature buildings of up to five storeys spread across six plots, alongside green areas. Developer Urbincasa has already built up a waiting list of people interested in buying properties there.
The project also includes a plot of almost 9,000 square metres for cultural facilities. Mazarrón Town Hall had previously suggested using the site to display the remains of two Phoenician ships discovered in La Isla.
The historic vessels are currently at the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology (ARQUA) in Cartagena, with one still undergoing restoration. There has been no final decision on whether the ships will eventually return to Mazarrón or remain in Cartagena.
The development site also has links to the area's industrial past. When the plans were announced in 2018, Urbincasa said the remains of the foundry's blast furnaces would be preserved.
The old foundry left behind a huge amount of industrial waste, with some estimates putting the total at almost two million tonnes. The black waste material eventually helped create an artificial barrier along the coast and changed the shape of the beach.
A separate coastal regeneration project is planned for El Gachero, including the removal and stabilisation of the dumped material, but there is currently no date for that work to begin.
For now, the decontamination of the development site marks the first step towards the long-awaited project, while the remaining planning and environmental approvals are still pending.
Image: Archive
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