I contacted Simply Networking about the date of this article and here is their reply
I posted it on Sunday 27th December.
Sorry, I am not very good at dating articles, I often forget to date them, will do it immediately.
Here is the original article for you from La Verdad. I have put it through a translator for you.
To be honest, I knew nothing of this urbanisation until I got a note through from one of the press agencies. The great tragedy of what is happening to the ex-pats is so badly reported here it's untrue. The brits in england hear more about the problems than we do, and of course there are situations like this all along the coast, not just in Murcia, so very little is reported.
Last week the same thing happened to the Trampolin Hills development, near to Murcia, thats another 2500 people who will lose their deposits, and yesterday the news leaked that Polaris world are seeking bankruptcy protection, which will affect many more thousands. I have done some digging around to try and find more of the history of your development, but theres very little in the spanish press. I can't find confirmation of the financial status of the developer, but given the current economic situation, this build won't happen.
I would imagine most of you knew nothing about this legal action by the shepherd as it appears that the developer has been lying through its teeth to you all. I was sickened by the letter sent to you just a few days before the developer sought bankruptcy protection.
If you do have any further information that would fill in the gaps for me, I would be very grateful .
We've been here eight years , and the website has only been out a few months. It took 6 months to do the programming, and we have worked very hard to try and build it, but letting people know its out there is the hardest thing. Please forgive me if I have little knowledge of what has happenend to you all, there's been so much to learn about and as you probably know, finding out info is the hardest thing and I've spent vast amounts of time just setting up the contacts to get the info.
I have tended to try and focus on the positive of being here, as there are many people, like ourselves, who live here in a half built house and have no prospect at all of being able to make any sort of move for a very long time, so we've dug in , and determined to find as much as we could to help other ex-pats and give information, particularly finding as much as we could for free and helping those of us here to make the most of life here.
I am desperately sorry to hear about these developments and what is happening, and am deeply angered by the complacency of the spanish system and the corruption that has allowed this to happen. My site is read by some fairly important people in the local government, so i make my points subtly, but believe me, I really will do everything I can to raise the profile of what is happening and spread the message.
Please let me have any information you can, and please feel free to pass what I've written to anyone else who may have information they can send that can be used to make the point.
I really do wish you all the best, Zoe.
Her contact e-mail is coopers 130@hotmail.com
Llegar hasta Pascual Carrión Guardiola es casi imposible. Sus amigos dicen de él que es un solitario, casi un ermitaño. Pasa la mayor parte del tiempo junto a su rebaño en el paraje de la Herrada del Tollo, y allí, rodeado de un manso silencio y de sus animales, lo encuentra 'La Verdad'. Pascual, pastor por vocación, está trabajando, afanado en lo suyo aunque ya haya anochecido. Desde hace cuarenta años se levanta cada mañana pensando en cuidar a sus cabras y ovejas, y hoy no ha hecho una excepción pese a que tiene mucho que celebrar. «Llevo siete años luchando para que la Justicia me dé la razón, y por fin lo he conseguido», cuenta orgulloso. Como un nuevo David frente al gigante Goliat, Pascual Carrión ha logrado que el Tribunal Supremo paralice las 2.285 viviendas y el campo de golf previsto en la urbanización Santa Ana del Monte Jumilla Golf.
Por eso, este pastor se ha convertido, aun sin buscarlo, en un héroe para muchos. Su lucha comenzó en el 2002, cuando le notificaron que por su finca iba a pasar una línea eléctrica de alta tensión. «Suponía una ruina total para mí, por el riesgo para el ganado». Acudió a la Justicia, pero no pudo evitar que la obra se llevase a cabo. El asunto está todavía en los tribunales. «Al principio, la línea iba a pasar por una finca rústica colindante a la mía, pero la desviaron», denuncia. Cuando conoció que una promotora quería construir miles de casas en la zona, ató cabos. El plan parcial, que aprobó el Ayuntamiento de Jumilla, suponía la expropiación de 30 hectáreas de terreno. «Era el fin de lo que he hecho toda mi vida, desde hace cuarenta años». Por eso, decidió plantar cara al proyecto. En su demanda, pidió la suspensión cautelar de la urbanización argumentando, entre otras cosas, que la promotora no había demostrado contar con recursos hídricos necesarios para el campo de golf y las viviendas. Ese posible déficit de agua ponía en riesgo la continuidad de su actividad pastoril. La Sala de lo Contencioso Administrativo del TSJ de la Región dictaminó hace dos años en su contra al entender que en la demanda «no se concreta ni acredita los posibles perjuicios que se derivarían de la no adopción de la medida cautelar». Además, los jueces recordaron que el plan parcial preveía la construcción de una planta desalinizadora y potabilizadora.
Sin embargo, el Tribunal Supremo ha tumbado ahora este dictamen y, en un auto conocido esta semana, ha ordenado la suspensión cautelar del proyecto hasta que «se acredite la suficiencia de los recursos hídricos necesarios».
Concurso de acreedores
Pascual Carrión no oculta su alegría. «Por fin se me ha escuchado, y sólo espero que la Justicia también me oiga en el caso de la línea de alta tensión». Promete, por tanto, seguir dando guerra. De momento, el Ayuntamiento ya ha acatado la decisión del Supremo. El alcalde, Francisco Abellán, apuntó el viernes que el Plan Parcial podría reducirse. De hecho, Pascual Carrión subraya que la empresa ha declarado concurso de acreedores. El proyecto no pasa por su mejor momento. Ayer, el alcalde volvió a referirse a la urbanización. «En el futuro los planes se deberán elaborar de forma más sostenible», explicó a la agencia Efe. La sentencia, añadió, crea «precedente en la futura construcciones de planes parciales urbanos si no se garantizan los recursos hídricos mínimos, y da prioridad al sector ganadero». Por su parte, Ecologistas en Acción aplaude al Supremo. «El auto viene a corroborar que durante los años de burbuja inmobiliaria se han aprobado proyectos sin tener ni siquiera agua garantizada», sostiene Rubén Vives, uno de los portavoces de la organización. De momento, lo que está claro es que Pascual Carrión ya ha ganado una batalla.
Reaching Carrion Pascual Guardiola is almost impossible. His friends say of him as a loner, almost a hermit. He spends most of his time with his flock in the place of the Tollo Herrada and there, surrounded by silence and their tame animals, he finds 'The Truth'. Pascual, pastor by vocation, working, toiling at it even though already dark. For forty years, gets up every morning thinking about caring for their goats and sheep, and today has made an exception despite having much to celebrate. "I have been fighting for seven years that Justice will give me the reason, and I finally got it ', says proudly. As a new David versus Goliath, Pascual Carrión has managed to paralyze the Supreme Court and the 2285 homes planned golf course development in Santa Ana del Monte Jumilla Golf.
So this pastor has become, even without seeking a hero to many. Their fight began in 2002, when he was notified that his estate would pass a high voltage power line. "It meant a total wreck for me, the risk to cattle. He went to court, but could not prevent the work is carried out. The matter is still before the courts. "At first, the line was to pass a farm adjacent to mine, but diverted 'complaint. Upon learning that a developer wanted to build thousands of homes in the area, tied ropes. The partial plan, approved by the City of Jumilla, involved the expropriation of 30 hectares of land. "It was the end of what I have done all my life for forty years." So he decided to stand up to the project. In its application, requested the freezing of urbanization arguing, among other things, that the promoter had not proved necessary to have water for the golf course and housing. That possible water deficit put at risk the continuity of his pastoral activity. The Administrative Litigation Division of the Supreme Court ruled the region two years ago against it believes that demand is "not practical or possible harm accredits that would result from not taking the precautionary measure". Moreover, judges recalled that the partial plan envisaged the construction of a desalination plant and water treatment.
However, the Supreme Court has this advice and now lying in a car known this week, has ordered the interim suspension of the project until "proving the adequacy of water resources needed".
Bankruptcy
Pascual Carrión not hide his joy. "At last I heard, and just hope that justice will also hear me in the case of high voltage line. It promises, therefore, continue to give war. For now, the City has complied with the decision of the Supreme. The mayor, Francisco Abellán, said Friday that the Partial Plan could be reduced. In fact, Pascual Carrión stresses that the company has declared insolvency proceedings. The project is not going through its best. Yesterday, the mayor again referred to urbanization. "In future plans should be developed in a more sustainable," she told the EFE news agency. The ruling, he added, creates a precedent in future urban constructions of partial plans are not guaranteed if the minimum water resources, giving priority to the livestock sector. Meanwhile, Ecologists in Action applauds the Supreme. "The car corroborates that during the housing bubble years of projects have been approved without even water guaranteed" says Rubén Vives, a spokesman for the organization. For now, what is clear is that Pascual Carrión has already won a battle.
This message was last edited by Margaret and Charlie on 29/12/2009.