Ses Fontanelles, the last wetland of high ecological value that survives in Palma, is not immune to urban development. For decades, the construction threat has hovered over this 32.5 hectare space where old salt mines, quarries, irrigation ditches, crops, coastal pine forests and reeds coexist and where migratory birds nest. It is, in the eyes of environmentalists, an ecosystem of incalculable value. Now, the Supreme Court has ruled out the possibility of building a 4,000 square meter shopping center in the area, as planned by the French multinational Unibail Rodamco. However, the Palma City Council, governed by PP and Vox, has given the green light to a project that contemplates the construction of a macro-development of 450 homes – with prices around 500,000 euros -, which will cause the destruction of 91,000 m² of territory, 45,000 of which will be occupied by homes, while the rest will be used for commercial use and other facilities.
While certain voices, such as that of the researcher and doctor in Geography Iván Murray, point to Ses Fontanelles as one of the most obvious examples of tourism-real estate speculation in Mallorca, Ses Fontanelles continues to fight its particular battle against the financial interests that overwhelm its natural wealth. Last week, the Palma City Council initially approved the modification of the Comprehensive Reconversion Plan of Platja de Palma (PRI) to enable the construction of the new residential blocks, which will remain in the hands of the same development company. For the initiative to move forward definitively, Unibail Rodamco must resolve a total of 52 technical deficiencies. The City Council assures that the new project will guarantee the protection of the wetland area of Ses Fontanelles, will minimize the buildable area and will focus on local commerce.
