Cádiz village also plans to build golf course near natural park land

PLANS to build 170 houses and a hotel close to the ruins of a second century Roman settlement have been slammed by environmental groups.

Prado del Rey town hall amended its PGOU urban expansion plan to allow for construction on 58 hectares of land in Los Alcornocales Natural Park in the Cádiz province. Forty four existing illegal homes in the park, mainly built during the 1970s, are also set to be legitimized under the plan.

Although the project has yet to be cleared by the Junta de Andalucía regional government, environmental groups are pressuring officials not to green light the plans, which could see construction work metres from the ruins of the Roman settlement of Iptuci – an important second century fortress.

Juan Clavero of Ecologistas en Accion said: “This project is unsustainable. It is only explained by the construction boom that may have grave consequences on the future of the Sierra de Cadiz mountain range.