Alhendín Opposes Biomethane Plant Due to Urban and Environmental "Obstacles"
The Alhendín Town Council sides with residents and anticipates an unfavorable report for the biomethane plant's installation, citing regulatory changes and public sentiment.
By Inmaculada Reyes Aguilar
••3 min read
IA
Generic image of official documents on a desk, symbolizing administrative procedures.
The Alhendín Town Council has expressed strong opposition to a proposed biomethane plant in the locality, anticipating an unfavorable report due to urban and environmental "obstacles," in addition to considering residents' sentiments.
The stance of the Alhendín Consistory is clear: it aligns with residents demanding the project's halt, which is planned opposite the Marchalhendín industrial estate. This decision is based not only on incorporating public sentiment but also on technical reports that, according to the town council, have a "quite high probability of being unfavorable."
For the biomethane plant project to proceed, it must pass through several stages, including an urban compatibility report. Initially, in 2023, this report was favorable as the Junta de Andalucía classified it as 'ordinary.' However, the situation changed in 2025 when the Andalusian Government issued a complementary order to the urban planning law. This new regulation reclassifies such projects as “substantial” and impacting the natural environment, changing them from “ordinary” to “extraordinary,” explained Cristian García, Environment Councilor for the Alhendín Town Council.
This change in classification means the project, in addition to complying with the General Urban Planning Plan, must consider environmental factors such as noise, filtrations, vehicle traffic, and atmospheric quality. The Alhendín Consistory is preparing the relevant report, identifying which terms are met and which are not regarding urban compatibility. Although the report will be sent to the Junta de Andalucía shortly, "some obstacles to its favorability" have already been identified.
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"There is a quite high probability that it will be unfavorable. The Town Council is looking for ways to prevent the initiative from going ahead based on these technical terms."
Another potential hurdle for the biomethane plant is the declaration of public and social interest, a necessary step to obtain the building permit, which must be approved by the Alhendín Town Council plenary. García, in line with what Mayor Jorge Sánchez has expressed, indicated that the project would not have municipal approval.
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"We would approve that declaration of public and social interest if we were in a municipality with a small population, in decline, or experiencing some kind of population loss, or if we didn't have economic development. However, this project is near an urban center like La Malahá, with whom we are quite sensitive, as we are with our neighbors. It is also near the Marchalhendín industrial estate, an area that is in full development and where we constantly have companies wanting to set up. All this generates wealth that can be even greater than what any type of macro-plant could generate."
The Environment Councilor also emphasized the "sentiment of the people," noting that the implementation of the macro-plant is not viewed positively. With these considerations, the Alhendín Town Council has issued an "initial and definitive" refusal to the declaration of public and social interest, which would result in the initiative's paralysis.
