Town Council Meeting - 25.11.2008

At the full monthly meeting of the Orihuela Town Council (Pleno) held on Tuesday 25th November the following points which affect Orihuela Costa were discussed.

The ruling Partido Popular finally adopted the partial plan for the development land within the PAU 7 area of Villa Martin for the building of 2570 new homes including 650 social housing properties. The 14 PP Councillors of course voted in favour of the proposition whereas the 11 Opposition (PSOE, Los Verdes and Centro Liberal Renovador) Councillors voted against it. The contra arguments put forward by the Opposition were that there is no market demand for the additional houses and that there is insufficient water supply available to service them. Los Verdes put forward the additional argument that this is not the correct location to put this number of homes for social housing. It will create a ghetto style environment.

There was an unanimous approval by all Councillors of the Territorial Emergency Plan for Orihuela.This is to cover the procedures and services to be adopted within the Municipality in the case of major emergency situations including natural disasters and the like. With such a large population in Orihuela Costa it is important that there is a clearly defined proceed of coordination of emergency services and contact points to help the citizens at such a time. Los Verdes will ask that an information leaflet is published in Spanish and English for public distribution.

Los Verdes presented a written question to the Council meeting in respect of the possible felling of approximately 42 mediterranean pine trees and 20 palms in the Punta Prima urbanisation adjacent to the Cala Mosca development. The PP Councillor for Urbanisation, Sr. Barberá confirmed to the Council that the existing trees will be respected and that the proposed road system will be adapted to accommodate them. The pressure of the residents and the action of Los Verdes has resulted in the saving of the 40 year old pine trees and the palms.

Los Verdes asked during the verbal question time of the meeting, about the continued delay in the publication of the public information leaflets about the two new Bye-laws in respect of the 'Ownership and Protection of Animals' and the 'Regulation for the cleaning of the Municipality and the Management of Urban Services and Waste' It was pointed out that the PP governing team agreed several months ago that these leaflets would be produced in three languages, Spanish, English and German, but that they have not honoured their words as the leaflets are still not available.

Cala Mosca Pines Threatened

Los Verdes of Orihuela have registered a question for the next regular Town Council meeting (Pleno), with regard to the likely felling of trees that, once again, and in an indiscriminate way, is wanted to be carried out in the urbanization of Punta Prima, in Orihuela Costa.

The Municipal Group of Los Verdes has known that in the urbanization of Punta Prima is an area of pine trees, some of which are more than forty years old, which will affect the proceedings of the construction company that is developing La Cala Mosca and limit it. In fact, some pine trees have been felled, according to information from residents of the urbanisation. It is not the first time this has happened. There was an attempt to remove the trees toward the end of last summer. Los Verdes brought this fact to the attention of the Councillor for Urban Planning. The response at that time was that he was not going to let the existing pines be affected by the development action.

Los Verdes did not mistrust the response of the Councillor for Urbanism at the time, but it seems that the construction company has recently registered a document with the City Council to seek authorization for the cutting down of all the pines.

At the moment 42 tall pines and about 20 small palms remain. It is clear that the developer wants to take advantage of the width of the existing street of Punta Prima to make a single avenue of 15 to 20 meters, including pavements, and the trees are a problem.

Understanding this fact, if it is correct and it happens, it would violate the rights of the neighbours to respect the environment in which they have lived for many years and that it would destroy the unique vegetation that remains in this area following the barbarity that is leading to end of Cala Mosca, with the blessing of the City Council.

Los Verdes believe that it (the council) should not allow the announced tree felling, and to the contrary, to replant trees to replace those that have already been cut, with a call for the punishment for the developer as set out in the rules of the General Building Plan of Orihuela.

Therefore the Municipal Group of Los Verdes will ask at the Town Council meeting what action the governing PP Council intends to take to prevent the felling of this area of pines. Moreover, it has been asked by the neighbours affected whether at this point in time the Council has carried out an environmental report that would justify some sort of action on this matter, so that there is no doubt in this regard

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