Analysis of the impact of high voltage power lines on the value of properties in environments of high ecological value and rural tourism: the case of the Lecrín Valley (Granada - Spain)

Plenty of studies analyse the impact of the passage of high voltage power lines (HVPLs) through areas of high ecological and tourist value in specific ecosystems. However, there are no similar studies conducted in Spain especially with regard to the impact on the value of proximate properties as well as the loss of business to tourist establishments and commerce in areas with high environmental value. This study analyses the case of the Lecrin Valley in Granada (Spain) through which a HVPL project intended to cross over the region. Through a comparative methodology, the projected losses to property values in the municipalities of the area and the economic and social implications caused by the visual impact of the HVPL are quantified. The conclusions point out that the infrastructure would rupture of the regional balance while generating precariousness, loss of wealth in economic and patrimonial terms for the region as a whole.