The ecological effects of the Tenerife Motor Circuit have been under examination following the identification of new species requiring protection as well as potential archaeological remains. The island council’s vice president, Lope Afonso, has indicated that he will provide an update on the project’s future once the environmental authority assessing it makes a decision regarding its potential modifications.
Afonso stated that the current phase involves preliminary work, specifically the process of enclosing the infrastructure. “At this point, it is up to the appropriate environmental authority to determine the possibility of altering the environmental declaration. The aim is to ensure that the project is executed in harmony with the protection of the natural, archaeological, and cultural surroundings of the Circuit,” Afonso remarked.
The social archaeology collective Imastanen raised concerns this Saturday regarding the Commencement of work on the contentious motor circuit in Tenerife, specifically in the Arogo area (a southern municipality of Granadilla de Abona). After receiving alerts from local residents, members of this group visited the location and documented the new signage recently installed, all while conversing with workers from the company responsible for the excavations. They informed the workers about the existence of various archaeological sites that could be impacted by the ongoing works.
The group also verified that the worksite is being cordoned off and notified the island’s Heritage department of the situation and its obligation to safeguard this indigenous heritage. Furthermore, after obtaining the necessary permits for conducting analyses, last year, the General Directorate of Nature Protection of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Department of Territorial Planning, Historical Heritage, and Tourism of the Cabildo de Tenerife were informed about a total of 19 archaeological units, including 17 ethnographic and 3 architectural sites.