Regional Directorate for Heritage explains that the court decision validating the expropriation is already more than a year old and that the portion in question is decisive for the new hospital.
A police contingent was called this morning to São Martinho, close to the land for the construction of the new hospital.
According to information initially released by RTP-Madeira, the Police went to the scene following the protest of a family that continues to live in the area.
The household in question, composed of a couple and a child, refuses to leave the site, despite the Regional Government having, since the beginning of 2021, a court order favorable to the expropriation.
According to Élia Ribeiro, regional director of Heritage, since the beginning of 2021 the family has known that it has to leave the place where they live, as determined by a court order. However, during that time the family refused to leave and also refused to occupy the apartment they had been assigned.
Élia Ribeiro tells JM that the space in question is essential for the normal continuation of the works for the new hospital and that several appeals have already been made to the family, but without success.
“Today it had to be done this way”, explains the regional director. Élia Ribeiro adds that the family forced to leave their residence in the expropriated place has an apartment waiting for them on Rua Elias Garcia, in the center of Funchal, which they have not yet occupied.
Despite the court ruling in favor of expropriation, there will be disagreements as to the amount of compensation, 37,000 euros, which is the procedural part that awaits the court’s decision.