Tenerife Motor Park Project Faces Setback as Court Confirms Permit Expiry
The High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands has ruled that the environmental permit for the Tenerife International Motor Park has expired due to over a decade of project inactivity.
The Tenerife International Motor Park project has suffered a major legal setback. The High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) has rejected an appeal from the Island Council, confirming that the environmental permit for the Granadilla de Abona site has expired.
This ruling upholds an earlier decision by a lower court. The case, brought forward by the Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature (ATAN), argued that the original 2011 environmental permit is no longer valid because no significant work has been carried out on the project for over a decade. The court agreed, concluding that this long period of inactivity means the project’s legal framework has lapsed.
Despite this ruling, the circuit still faces three other legal challenges before the High Court. These pending cases involve technical and administrative hurdles, including concerns over access roads, flood protection requirements, and proposed changes to the track’s design.
For ATAN, this court victory is more than just a legal win; it highlights their ongoing concerns about how public money is spent and the island’s approach to development. The organization argues that continuing with the project in such an environmentally sensitive area threatens Tenerife’s natural landscape and questions the financial wisdom of pursuing a project that has been mired in legal uncertainty for years.