The situation at Grímsstaðir á Fjöllum – the land which Chinese entrepreneur Huang Nubo intends to rent from local municipalities – is still unclear, with some villages refusing to take part in the purchase of the land and seeking further answers.
As reported, Huang Nubo – who has sought to build a luxury hotel and golf course on the land but been denied permission to purchase the land – has been granted permission to rent the land from a holding company, which would be comprised of several local municipalities buying a 70% share in the land.
However, RÚV reports, the matter is far from over.
Many local municipalities in northeast Iceland have been called upon to pitch in with the purchase of the land, but Skútustaðahreppur has declined to take part. They argue that while basic services have had to be cut, they cannot foresee themselves taking part in buying shares in Grímsstaðir. Local leadership at Þingeyjarsveit have also declined to take part.
Steinþór Heiðarsson, who represents Tjörneshreppur, expressed serious reservations about the project. He said that aspects of Huang Nubo’s plan are still unclear, especially regarding construction planning and dealing with sewage. He points out that, with about 200 people needed as full-time employees once the project is complete, it will be very likely that employees will in many cases have to live on the land. In which case, a village of sorts will need to be built there, providing services such as schooling, medical centres and other services.
The formation of the holding company is then still in a state of flux, until enough municipalities get on board with the project.
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