Spain Calls a Halt to Building on Islands

The Balearic islands are to freeze all construction along the most delicate parts of coastlines and around the islands' capitals, which have been blighted by property developments since mass tourism first arrived in Spain in the 60s. The plan, set to be announced tomorrow, will come into force immediately in an effort to save some of the most beautiful coastlines on the islands of Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca, from further development.

Although the full details of the plan, revealed yesterday in El Pais newspaper have not yet been announced, it is understood that it will place a moratorium on development in one of Mallorca's largest untouched bays, and in urban marshlands in Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca, where construction work was set to begin. Rural land around the newly constructed Son Espases hospital in Palma, located near a medieval monastery, will also be saved.

During this moratorium the parliament of the Balearic islands will redefine these areas as protected land, meaning that they cannot be built on in the future. There will also be parallel compensation negotiations with landowners and property developers. The socialist president of the Balearic islands, Francesc Antich, said: "We cannot mistreat our natural resources, damage the coastline and allow for a disproportionate growth in residential properties."

The move has been given a cautious welcome by environmental groups. María José Caballero, from Greenpeace, said: "It's very positive and very necessary. What you have to realize is that the islands are going to be the first places to suffer the effects of climate change. Whatever can be done to prevent further development on the coasts will give some kind of guarantee for the future."

Tourism has long been a vital economic resource for the Balearic islands, bringing in hundreds of thousands of tourists and millions of euros each year. The tide has turned against tourism recently, as Spaniards have begun to criticize the detrimental effect of unfettered development on their coastlines. There has also been concern over the kind of tourism that high-rise hotels and densely packed apartment blocs attract. An estimated one million Britons now live in Spain, which, in a country of 45 million, has placed a great strain on resources.

Environmental campaigners have warned that one third of Spain risks being turned into desert, as property developments and tourism projects - particularly the golf courses that attract so many British tourists - consume much-needed water. The WWF describes the hundreds of golf courses around the Mediterranean as an environmental hazard, with each one using about one million cubic meters of water per hectare per year - the same as a town of 12,000 people.

With general elections set for next spring, tourism and its impact on the environment looks set to be a key campaigning issue. Last week, the Spanish government launched an initiative to pull down illegally built homes, chalets and hotels along 500 miles of coastline. Under Spanish law, beaches are considered public property and construction is banned within 100 meters of the coast, but the law is often flouted by construction companies.