Italy Revokes Authorization for Fasano Development in Sardinia

The Italian government has revoked authorization for the first phase of the JHSF Fasano group's development project in Sardinia following opposition from environmental groups, protests by local residents, and disagreements with local authorities.

Loiri Porto San Paolo Mayor Francesco Lai said the government withdrew the authorization after the Municipal Council revoked an initial resolution approving the project in November 2025. Without that municipal approval, the government canceled the permit for the renovation of Villa Joy, a 1960s house in Cala Finanza, a protected conservation area.

The project, named Fasano Al Mare Beach Club, included seven removable glamping units with sewage, water, and electricity infrastructure. Environmental groups challenged the plan because Sardinian law prohibits new construction within 300 meters of the sea, while Villa Joy is located about 30 meters from the shoreline, also conflicting with the regional landscape plan.

According to Lai, the November resolution had been approved on the condition that no new building volume would be added to the site.

"When those conditions were violated, when the Council of Ministers approved the project in full and used our resolution as a green light for an operation we had never authorized, we did not pretend not to notice. We revoked the measure," he said, according to the newspaper La Nuova Sardegna.

The authorization had been granted in February under a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) mechanism despite negative technical opinions from regional agencies. Last week, about 100 people protested at the site, while an online petition gathered more than 100,000 signatures.

Tavolara Bay said it was "perplexed" by the revocation and stated that it had always complied with the rules governing the SEZ mechanism. The company said it is reviewing its legal options. A hearing before the Regional Administrative Court is scheduled for July 8 in Cagliari.

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