The Lopesan Group, one of the Canary Islands’ leading hotel developers, has run into legal difficulties with one of its latest projects to build the first new hotel in 14 years in Meloneras in the south of Gran Canaria.
The Town Hall of San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Maspalomas) has ordered the suspension of works that were underway in the Pasito Blanco and El Toscón ravines, near the Meloneras golf course.
According to Radio Televisión Canaria, the council decided to halt the works after determining that Lopesan does not hold the necessary building permits for the project. The only authorisation currently in place allows for work related solely to the channelling of the ravines, not full construction works.
Lopesan has stated that the decision to pause construction was made voluntarily while the company reorganises the project. However, the issue has come to light following complaints filed by environmental groups including Ecologistas en Acción and Turcón, who allege that the works were being carried out on land designated for public green spaces and pedestrian access routes to the coast, according to the Meloneras Golf Partial Plan.
Environmental concerns spark official action
The ecological organisations claim that part of the construction has been carried out outside of the authorised hydraulic public domain, and question whether Lopesan has been granted the necessary urban planning licenses by the San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Hall.
In their formal complaint, they demanded immediate clarification from the council and a halt to the project. Just days after these concerns were raised, the Town Hall officially ordered the suspension of works pending further review.
The dispute arose shortly after Lopesan had marked a major milestone with the start of construction on its first new hotel in Maspalomas in 14 years, a long-awaited project aimed at further boosting the area’s tourism infrastructure. This latest setback, however, highlights the ongoing tensions between development ambitions and environmental protections across the Canary Islands.
The Town Hall has not yet confirmed whether the suspension will be temporary or if further legal action may follow.
