Public Ministry suspends works on Hilton Hotel Cascais

Portugal’s Public Ministry has ordered the immediate suspension of building works on a Hilton hotel with 120 apartments on the Cascais line.

It has also ordered the demolition of buildings that are nearing completion according to the State broadcaster RTP.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office’s legal action also seeks the suspension of permits and a declaration of nullity regarding the resolutions and official orders issued by the officials then in charge at Cascais Town Council. According to RTP, most of these acts were signed by Miguel Pinto Luz, the current Minister of Infrastructure and when Carlos Carreiras was mayor.

The case stemmed from an RTP investigation published in January 2024, which led the Prosecutor General’s Office to open an inquiry. At issue is the sale of a plot of land measuring approximately 800 square meters for less than €313,000, located in one of the country’s most expensive real estate areas.

The information was released by SOS Quinta dos Ingleses – Environmental Association (an environmental NGO) in a statement issued following a report broadcast by RTP on July 18.

According to the association, the legal action was filed against the Municipality of Cascais, the company Encosta da Parede (the project developer), and the respective mortgage holders.

SOS Quinta dos Ingleses states that this initiative by the Public Prosecutor’s Office stems from a complaint filed by the association in September 2023, alleging that the licensing process violated urban planning and environmental regulations, including provisions of the Cascais Municipal Master Plan and land-use planning instruments.

Association challenges land sale

In its statement, the association also reiterates its objections to the 2020 sale of a municipal plot measuring approximately 823 square meters to the developer for €312,700, arguing that this price did not reflect the market value of a seafront property.

SOS Quinta dos Ingleses further notes that it maintains doubts regarding the legality of the entire administrative process linked to the development and states that it expects the court to uphold the grounds cited by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Reference to the current minister

In the same statement, the association notes that several administrative acts related to the licensing process took place while Miguel Pinto Luz was serving as Vice-Mayor of Cascais and was responsible for the portfolio of Structural Projects.

The association also points out that the current Minister of Infrastructure and Housing publicly announced the project in 2019—prior to its formal approval—and argues that this fact warrants clarification within the ongoing proceedings.

To date, there has been no court ruling on the merits of the case, nor any public statement from the parties involved regarding this new development.

Environmental issues

SOS Quinta dos Ingleses further maintains that the development’s location—right by the coastline in an area deemed vulnerable to the effects of climate change, coastal erosion, and seismic risk—justifies preserving the site as a wooded area.

The association argues that the land should retain its environmental function and expects the court to order the restoration of the status quo should it rule the permitting process illegal.

In addition to the administrative lawsuit recently made public, SOS Quinta dos Ingleses notes that a criminal investigation related to this matter is still ongoing, and it awaits the outcome of those proceedings.

Image: SOS Quinta dos Ingleses