Orihuela Town Council meeting - 28th April 2009

At the full monthly meeting of the Orihuela Town Council (Pleno) held on Tuesday 28th April 2009 the following points which affect Orihuela Costa were discussed.

Urbanización Lomas de Cabo Roig.

The PP ruling party proposed to amend the Plan Parcial of the sector "Lomas de Cabo Roig" in relation to the three commercial building plots to increase build potential.

These three have the special feature of being located within the Urbanizations Villa Piedra, Las Amapolas and La Regia, near the toll motorway AP-7, in a totally urbanized and fully finished area.

Los Verdes and the other Opposition parties criticized the proposal by the PP for the following reasons.

1. There are already enough shops, many empty or closed, then there is no economic need, with being close to large shopping centres such as LIDL, ALDI, Mercadona, PetsWord, the future Alcampo supermarket, a petrol station with a shop 24 hours, etc.
   
2. Such trade will bring inconvenience to the retailer, day and night with bars and restaurants with high traffic and noise.
   
3. The council has not notified the neighbours of the Partial Plan amendment, who have not been able to submit objections to the draft amendment.
4. Once again, the PP does town planning changes for the benefit of its promoter friends.
   

Los Verdes and the other Opposition parties voted against the amendment but the PP used its majority vote to pass it. .

Los Verdes Motion on aid for trade in the municipality of Orihuela, including the Coast.

Los Verdes submitted a motion to propose measures to promote the opening and survival of shops within the Orihuela Municipality including Orihuela Costa. The party believes that this is necessary as the PP ruling team are failing in their obligations in this matter.

In the current context of crisis, the retail sector is one of the sections of the economy of Orihuela that is suffering most. Every day we see establishments closing and for those that survive it is becoming increasingly difficult. This phenomenon effects all types of shops including the large commercial shopping centres.

Los Verdes presented the motion with a series of specific proposals that seek to be simple and straightforward to encourage the creation of new businesses, facilitating the reduction in costs at the opening of establishments across all Orihuela. These included a reduction of 50% in the cost of licence applications for opening new businesses and an exemption from the fees for building permits, for opening or refurbishment of ground floor premises, provided that the work is undertaken by companies with a business address or registered office in Orihuela. In addition it was proposed that a direct payment of 1500€ be given to those employers who open a business in Orihuela and offer a contract of employment to an employee who is registered as living in the Orihuela Municipality.

To take advantage of the initiatives the employer would have to fulfil a number of requirements in that the business is up to date with payments to the tax and social security and has been in business for at least 2 years in cases of recruitment of workers show that the employee has been registered in Orihuela for at least 1 year.

Despite a vote in favour of the motion by Los Verdes and the other Opposition parties it was rejected by the PP using its majority in the Council.

Questions to the PP Councillors:

Los Verdes submitted the following questions for clarification to the PP governing team.

Playa de Punta Prima.

The 2007 budget included funding for an elevator to give access to this beach, with an amount of over 250,000€.

Following an announcement by Sra Monica Lorente, the PP Mayor of Orihuela, during a press conference on the 30th May 2008 that the lift is to be installed as part of the investment considered necessary to meet the conditions for obtaining a ‘Blue Flag’ for the beach, Los Verdes of Orihuela made the comment that we do not consider that the installation of an elevator within the Punta Prima playa is the most cost effective way of giving access to the beach to those visitors that have mobility problems. .

The question is: where is the elevator or where is the money?

Councillor for the Coast Sr. José Antonio Aniorte is to reply in writing to Los Verdes.

Fiestas on the Coast

Following the spate of fiestas on the Costa (St. Patrick's day, the Oktoberfest (in April) and St Georges day), all between the months of March-April, Los Verdes asked the PP governing team, a question specifically about the Oktoberfest, which lasted 16 days with moderate success according to the few local traders from the coast invited, when we know that the rental of a giant marquee with a capacity of 600 people and an area of about 1,000 m2, is approximately 40,000€.

The question is: how much did this event cost the taxpayers of the Orihuela Municipality?

Councillor for the Coast Sr. José Antonio Aniorte is to reply in writing to Los Verdes.