The municipal plenary approved yesterday an institutional declaration opposing the project, with the support of all groups and the non-attached councillor. The mayor, Raúl Castilla, has called a meeting with the spokespeople and the citizens' platform.
The Town Hall of Sanlúcar la Mayor unanimously approved an institutional declaration of rejection of the biogas plant proposed near the municipality, specifically in the area of Benacazón. The initiative, presented by the municipal group Izquierda Unida Sanlúcar Avanza, was passed with the support of all political groups and the non-attached councillor.
During the plenary debate, journalist Ricardo Gamaza from Ecoperiodismo spoke on behalf of the citizens' platform opposing the project. The Environment delegate, Álvaro García (PSOE), defended the need to study such facilities with the utmost rigor and called on the Junta de Andalucía not to authorise any actions that compromise Aljarafe or that have the majority rejection of its residents.
Representing the Independent Sanluqueño Group, Aurelio Vargas emphasised that “the health and quality of life of the people are at stake”, and thanked the initiative presented. For his part, the spokesperson for IU Sanlúcar Avanza, Vicente Terenti, expressed his group's support for the declaration and expressed his hope that this defence of the municipality would be a shared cause by the entire Corporation, especially thanking the work of the citizens' platform.
From Vox, Antonio Salado stated that any decision must be made with balance and common sense, always ensuring that the life and well-being of the residents are not put at risk. The councillor from the Popular Party, Pilar Moreno, affirmed that her group fully supports the declaration, considering that the biogas plant poses a threat to Sanlúcar la Mayor, the surrounding municipalities, the green corridor, and a highly valued environmental space like Doñana.
The non-attached councillor, Flori Barrera, also supported the initiative, emphasising that the priority is to protect the health, environment, and quality of life of the residents. The mayor, Raúl Castilla, thanked the consensus reached and announced his intention to convene a meeting with all municipal spokespeople alongside the citizens' platform to gain a deeper understanding of the project's details and continue raising institutional awareness.
Castilla called for unity among all municipalities in Aljarafe to prevent the territory from hosting high-impact projects that do not respond to a truly sustainable model. “We want sustainable industries and to protect our environmental treasure”, he stated, adding that “in this case, size matters: we are talking about a biogas plant that does not respond to a circular economy model and cannot be considered sustainable.”
The institutional declaration approved yesterday adds to the citizen mobilisations that have been taking place in the region. Today, Thursday, July 30, there will be a concentration in Bollullos de la Mitación to show community rejection of the project and demand that it does not go ahead. The mayor encouraged the entire Municipal Corporation and the citizens to participate in this mobilization in defence of Aljarafe and its future.
The proposed biogas plant in Benacazón has generated widespread rejection in the surrounding municipalities, which see it as a threat to health and the environment. The citizens' platform, which has been organising for months, has succeeded in getting the town halls in the region to take a strong stance. This afternoon's concentration in Bollullos de la Mitación will be another demonstration of that opposition.
Meanwhile, the Town Hall of Sanlúcar la Mayor is already working on convening the meeting announced by the mayor, which will involve all municipal spokespeople and representatives of the platform. The aim is to coordinate institutional and citizen actions to stop a project that, according to critics, does not fit with the sustainable development model that Aljarafe demands.
The decision adopted by the Plenary of Sanlúcar la Mayor reinforces the position of other municipalities in the region, which have already shown their opposition to the installation. The Junta de Andalucía has not yet commented on the project's authorisation, but social and political pressure is increasing. The residents of Aljarafe hope that the regional administration will heed the majority rejection and not allow an action that they believe jeopardises their quality of life.
This afternoon's concentration in Bollullos de la Mitación is scheduled for 19:00 in the town hall square. A large turnout of residents from across the region is expected, who will carry banners and slogans against the biogas plant. The citizens' platform has called for unity to demonstrate that Aljarafe does not want this type of project.
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