Information published on the CMS website on March 4, 2021:

Sintra Town Hall has begun work on the refurbishment of the Serra da Carregueira Municipal Forest Park Sub-Phase 1, an investment worth 1.6 million euros, which covers more than 20 hectares near the urban town of Belas.

The Serra da Carregueira is one of the most significant green areas in the municipality of Sintra, which must be preserved and whose use must be enhanced in order to guarantee the enjoyment and protection of the natural resources of this place.

The mayor of Sintra, Basílio Horta, recalled that “this is a project by the architect Sidónio Pardal, developed in a sustainable and participatory concept.” The mayor also said that the future Serra da Carregueira Municipal Forest Park, integrated into the Municipal Ecological Structure and the Green and Blue Axis, “will be worthwhile not only for the architectural merit of its landscapes, but also for offering the population a free, open and inclusive space with free access”.

The works to implement sub-phase 1 of the Serra da Carregueira Park project include the construction of the boundaries, through walls and ramparts, and the main accesses to the park, near the town of Belas. The project also includes the construction of a new parking lot next to the southern entrance and benefits from the existing parking lot on Avenida João de Belas.

In this first sub-phase, it is planned to clean up the framework of the Ribeira de Belas, a tributary of the Jamor River, and then restore it by redesigning the bed and planting plant specimens, creating the conditions for the population to enjoy the waterline.

There are also plans to build a wooden bridge across the water line, ensuring a connection between the two banks and improving the circulation of the park’s internal paths.

The implementation of this phase of the project is of vital importance in guaranteeing the municipal green continuum by establishing a pedestrian/cycle path that continues the Verde Azul axis, on a route of around 3 km that promotes the connection between the urban agglomeration and the Belas Clube de Campo.

It is also planned to install street furniture suitable for visitors to and enjoyment of the space, as well as public lighting that essentially provides a safety function.

Considering the area covered by the intervention and the need to make the work feasible, the gardens that have been built in an illegal and disorderly manner will be eliminated in the short term.