The Court of Justice annulled several parts of the regulation that the Community of Madrid created for the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park because they reduced its environmental protection. The Supreme Court of Justice of Madrid orders to redo the articles on climbing, sports events, the use of roads and the use of buildings in protected areas.
The common denominator of the appeal presented by Ecologistas en Acción and Grama was that the Public Use and Management Plan (PRUG) prepared by the Madrid community reduced several points of the previously existing environmental guarantees.
The PRUG, now partially repealed, gave general permission for sporting events, even though the National Parks Master Plan clarifies that “in general, Sports events and competitions within national parks are considered incompatible with their objectives“. Yes, “exception” authorizations are allowed.
Under the protection of this regulation, which is now subject to judicial censorship, the authorities of the Community of Madrid allowed in 2019, for example, 38 sports activities, According to the official memory of the National Park. a year earlier There were 48 competitions – plus a further 89 for the Segovia side, which was run by the Junta de Castilla y León.-.
In the sports field, the magistrates also complained that the Madrid Community Plan allowed the creation of new rock climbing routes “when this was not allowed by previous regulations”, they explain in Ecologistas en Acción. At the same time, the annulment affects the permission given by the regulation developed by the regional authorities Bivouac (Sleep outside) from an altitude of 2,000 meters, when previously this protection level was set at 2,100 meters.
In addition, the court decision will cancel the change of use of the existing buildings that the PRUG of Madrid created in the special use zones. This means that according to the resources of ecologists, buildings such as the Copel shelter or the Club Alpino Español, Venta Marcelino (in the port of Los Cotos), Casa Puerto de La Morcuera, Canto Cochino forest houses (in Manzanares). el Real), or El Pingarrón shelter (on Valdesque Road).
Ultimately, the Court of Justice indicated that not all roads passing through the National Park can be used, but that use should be limited to those roads that are specifically authorized, as also indicated in the National Master Plan. This gives work to the park management, which has to review the trails it is going to approve from this point of view.
The Community of Madrid says it will “scrutinize the proposal in depth” but thinks it will not repeal the PRUG, which “remains in force”. The proposal “relates to very specific and minor articles,” he adds. He also believes that what is required is to “specify the owners of the marches or authorized routes or to add descriptions of the sections of the road”.
Source: El Diario
