Cabildo adjusts water management plan for the Tenerife Motor Circuit so construction can continue
The Tenerife Cabildo has asked the Consejo Insular de Aguas de Tenerife (CIAT) to approve changes to the water-management plan for the new race track, so that construction of the circuit can continue.
The goal is to combine two of the three natural drainage channels that are affected by the construction works. Once CIAT agrees, the updated plan will then be put on public display for comments.
This request comes at the same time as CIAT is reviewing whether one of the project’s permits should expire, because the Cabildo did not apply to renew it on time. Even so, the Cabildo has now asked for that permit to be “restored”, presenting new technical plans that differ from those previously approved.
Documents show that the revised plans mainly affect how rainwater run-off will be handled. Originally, three watercourses were to be altered, but the new proposal reduces this to two by merging them. The CIAT will now study the update to check whether it meets the area’s flood-protection needs once the works are finished.
For now, construction can continue because the permit has not officially expired. However, whether the permit can be reinstated will depend on the CIAT’s assessment once the public consultation period ends.
Environmental concerns also remain. A court case is currently examining whether the project’s environmental authorisation has expired. The CIAT may ask the Comisión de Evaluación Ambiental de Tenerife (CEAT) for an official opinion.
In 2022, CEAT advised that a fresh Environmental Impact Assessment would give the project stronger legal protection, but the Cabildo chose not to follow that recommendation.
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