Faro council says it cannot block 28 luxury villas planned inside Ria Formosa park

A planned development of 28 luxury villas, priced from €3.75 million, on land within the Ria Formosa Natural Park has sparked an online petition with nearly 600 signatures. Faro's mayor, António Pina, says the subdivision was approved in 1990 and formally accepted by the council in 2005, so there is no legal basis to cancel it. He admits it would not be allowed today and says he would try to negotiate with the owner. The architectural plans for the villas, submitted in October, are still under technical review, and the mayor says the riverside park's footpaths and cycle paths will stay open to the public.