Residents and environmental groups in La Orotava, Tenerife, have expressed strong opposition to plans by the Tenerife Island Council to remove and relocate 85 canary palm trees from a protected area along the road leading to three local beaches. This controversy has sparked a significant backlash, with various citizens and organisations, including environmentalists and political parties, submitting formal objections.
The council initially justified the removal by claiming the roots of the palms posed a risk to the roadway. However, many images show no evidence of damage, leading to scepticism among locals who feel the council’s sudden reassessment of the project, announced on August 18, lacked credibility. This decision came only hours after criticism surfaced from groups such as the Assembly for La Orotava.
The palm trees, which have grown along the road for over 50 years, are integral to the area’s identity. Even if the trees could be replanted, the local government indicated it would still oppose the removal, which is part of a larger £741,908 project addressing road conditions near the El Rincón natural area—a space protected since 1992.
Despite assurances from the council about reassessing the project, there has been no official announcement about reversing the plans in the local bulletin. This uncertainty has prompted La Orotava residents to organise efforts encouraging more objections, highlighting continued concerns over the fate of these iconic trees.
The project aims to tackle approximately 1,500 metres of the road, with the number of threatened palms stated as 80, although five additional palms are now added for removal without clarification. While the council claims the trees threaten the asphalt, critics within the Assembly for La Orotava and local residents dispute this, pointing to expert assessments of the road’s condition as merely “moderately degraded.”
Public consultation for the project, managed by Tecnologías Avanzadas de Macaronesia, commenced on August 12, a timing described by critics as less than ideal given the holiday season. Costs associated with relocating the palms and road repairs add up to substantial sums, leading to further scrutiny of the overall necessity and execution of the plans.
