On March 14, the Associação SOS Quinta dos Ingleses (SOSQI) — represented by its president and vice-presidents, respectively Ana Cristina Marques, Manuel Valadas Preto and Pedro Jordão — was received at the Assembly of the Republic by the president of the political party PAN (People-Animals-Nature), Inês Sousa Real.
This meeting addressed the issue of safeguarding Quinta dos Ingleses and the problems related to the environment, in particular the continued lack of response by official entities to the recommendations contained in Resolution No.208/2021 about the preservation of the entire green area of Quinta dos Ingleses.
The interventions that Cascais City Council has carried out throughout the county were also addressed, drastically reducing the natural territory in favour of more and more construction, highlighting the contradiction between environmental discourse and practice.
In the case of Quinta dos Ingleses, located in Carcavelos, both the City Council and the construction company Alves Ribeiro persist in their desire to advance the mega-urbanization project, which will lead to the destruction of around 50,000 century-old trees and the waterproofing of 52 hectares of green areas, without complying with the previous Resolution of the Assembly of the Republic.
The impact that the projected construction will have on the beach has been studied and was once again underlined, namely the main consequence that will be its disappearance, in turn implying: the deprivation of use by the population, the impact on maritime sports, in particular on the surf that distinguishes this beach, and the loss of protection against rising sea levels and the overtopping of the shores, which will translate into costs much higher than any compensation paid to Alves Ribeiro for not proceeding with this contested work.
The importance of preserving green areas for the health and well-being of populations, as well as to counteract the effects of global warming, and also for the fulfilment of goals, recommendations, decrees and treaties, was emphasized by both parties.
PAN and SOSQI expressed the enormous urgency to safeguard the Portuguese coastline, namely this last green stronghold on the Estoril Coast.
The meeting resulted in the certainty of the commitment of PAN and SOSQI in the continuation of the fight for the preservation of Quinta dos Ingleses and for the defence of all ecosystems, raising awareness of the authorities and the population for the irreparable damage, for the environment and health, that its destruction entails.