The Gran Canaria Island Water Council, the land regulator, is late to the public comment period. This is the situation with the new Modernization, Improvement, and Competitiveness Enhancement Plan for El Veril, in San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Gran Canaria), dated August 2026, which Maspalomas24H has obtained. The document is moving towards a standard Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), following the court annulment of its 2015 predecessor and the entry into force of new regulations. File 29/2025, promoted by the Canary Islands Government and drafted by the public company Gesplan, has sparked strong opposition from government bodies and environmentalists, who point to serious risks and contradictions.
The Tenerife-based lobbying efforts surrounding Loro Parque in Las Palmas are having an impact on southern Gran Canaria: the FEHT (Federation of Hotel and Tourism Businesses) has not submitted any objections to a document on which officials, only politicians, are willing to take a firm stance, following the devastating floods in Valencia. They are going to build a massive structure on a ravine, and any decisions made in Las Palmas will have repercussions for southern Gran Canaria, an area already prone to flooding. This disconnect between Loro Parque and southern Gran Canaria dates back to 2012, and the project hasn't even been presented to the public, as they believe Las Palmas holds the power in Maspalomas.
The initiative seeks to develop a key tourist facility, with associated accommodation, on a 172.865-square-meter plot of land between the GC-1 and GC-500 highways. The land is currently classified as non-programmed developable land, with permitted uses including a theme park and recreational park, as well as compatible social and commercial uses, excluding unrelated commercial buildings. The legal framework for Modernization Plans (PMMIC) allows for the incorporation of provisions not currently included or the modification of existing ones.
Analysis of sector reports reveals a complex and high-risk scenario. The Department of Public Works (PSOE) of the Island Council warns that the building line for developable land must be redefined, respecting the protection zones along the GC-1 highway, with a minimum distance of 35 meters from the outer edge of the roadway. This area must be designated as open space, green space, or a road reserve, prohibiting any construction.
The San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council points out that the 1996 General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) does not include structural provisions such as building density, permitted uses, development potential, or maximum height. Furthermore, it insists that the expropriation line along the GC-1 and GC-500 highways be taken into account, not the Public Domain boundary, as well as the Public Water Domain of the El Cañizo-Veril Ravine, including the administrative concession to occupy 121.000 square meters and the canalization authorization granted to Loro Parque SA.
Regarding biodiversity, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) recognizes areas of better-preserved cardonales (cactus scrublands) and the presence of approximately 70 specimens of Euphorbia canariensis, a protected species, some of them quite large. The Directorate General for the Natural Environment highlights the contradiction within the EIA itself, which on the one hand classifies the conservation status of Habitat of Community Interest (HIC) 5330 as "Poor" and lacking ecological functionality, but on the other hand concludes that the "presence of species typical of the habitat is favorable." Given this ambiguity, and considering the historical loss of 2,71% of this habitat in the municipality between 1996 and 2016, it proposes designating it an area of floristic interest.
The Gran Canaria Island Council identifies the phonolitic outcrop where the hotel is planned as a feature of significant landscape impact. Although it lacks island-wide protection, the Council urges that extreme measures be taken to minimize the visual impact, suggesting a phased development that blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape and integrates existing protected species. The greatest risk, however, is flooding. The area is affected by the Barranco de Buenavista Protected Area and converges with the Cañizo, Fuentes, and Canario ravines.
The PMMIC assumes that, following the 2017 channelization works (carried out without an environmental assessment), infiltration does not occur and the water flows through the channel, increasing the flow velocity until it reaches its mouth at Playa de las Burras. The proposed Scoping Document acknowledges the need for a study to guarantee safety against flooding with a 500-year return period, including the effects of climate change.
It will be necessary to assess whether the channel needs to be resized or if other measures need to be adopted to mitigate the risk. Given this situation, the allegations presented by entities such as Ben Magec-Ecologistas en Acción, Turcón, AmAGA, and the Tirahanac Sociocultural Association denounce substantial flaws in the procedure. They request the return of the file due to the risk to the safety of future users, the failure to meet environmental protection objectives, and the lack of rigorous justification of the flood risk and the protection of the public water domain.
The groups criticize the plan for concealing the construction of a private water park, alleging a predetermined outcome and questioning the suitability of the urban planning instrument and the impartiality of the environmental agency. Loro Parque SA, for its part, defends the legality of the Siam Park project and its compatibility with the planning regulations.
The Regional Environmental Assessment Commission rejected the request for the complete return of the proceedings, arguing that urban planning and heritage issues fall outside its jurisdiction and must be resolved by the corresponding sectoral bodies. However, it incorporated Alternative 0 and required the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to analyze in detail the risks of flooding, the impact on protected species, landscape integration, and the availability of water resources. The Commission also required justification for the supply of desalinated water and a guarantee of wastewater treatment. The developer must submit an estimated timeline for the processing within three months.
