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Zapatero has made his way back urgently to Madrid from Málaga where he was at a rally. He will meet with Rajoy in congress at 7pm this evening. The ex councillor worked in a toll booth after failing to be re-elected in the local elections in May last year. The security forces say that they are looking for a silver grey Seat, probably the Córdoba model, with a Bilbao registration number 7185-CN. Witnesses say they think the gunman was wearing a false beard, and the Spanish Interior Minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, has confirmed that one of the councillors own daughters saw the gunman running away. Another witness called to her window by the shooting, saw his wife María Ángeles bent over the body of the councillor and heard her shout ‘Murderers’. (08/03/08). |
Five year old Mari Luz, missing from Huelva since she left her home in the El Torrejón area of the city on 13th January for a short trip to the local sweets kiosk, has been found dead. El Mundo said her body was found on Friday evening in Huelva province in the Torrearenilla marshland, in a river close to the Cepsa refinery installations, by an employee of the petroleum company. |
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There was news just last week that the family of the five year old had received a ransom demand for two million euros, via an anonymous caller who demanded the money to release the child.
While it was thought to be a hoax, the family said they were prepared to negotiate in the case of serious calls. Mari Luz’s uncle, Diego Cortés, said at the time that the family would personally go to rescue his niece if necessary, but said they would only be able to raise around 300,000 €.
As soon as news of the find was released the parents of Mari Luz, Juan José and Irene, rushed to the scene, while other local people from the district where she lived also went en masse to the family home to support the family. There were scenes of great pain and emotion as the tragic find was confirmed. The grandparents challenged the Guardia Civil at the scene for, as they put it, not searching the marshlands from the first day, as they claimed the family had called for insistently. After the body was identified by the family and the judge, the body was taken to the Huelva crematorium.
Reports indicate that the body showed a blow to the head, and had been in the water for some time. A full autopsy is to be carried out on Saturday to establish the cause of death. In the case that she was murdered, DNA remains of her aggressor will be searched for. However it is also thought that the currents could have taken the body of the girl to where it was found from the drainage waterways from close to where she lived, raising the possibility that it could have been a tragic accident.
Huelva city hall has declared three days of mourning. City Mayor, Pedro Rodríguez, said it was a very sad day and that the worst possible outcome had been seen in the case.
The family spokesman, Luis Molina, said that the family were ‘bad and destroyed’ by the news, and he called on the press and the locals to ‘respect their pain’, and give them peace at such a dreadful time. (08/03/08).
More than 300 students from the Public College "Juan Carlos I" of Formentera Segura have had classes suspended since last Wednesday. The suspension is due to a plague of pine processionary caterpillars, which has resulted in severe inflammation, allergies and hives irritations on the skin at least five children, but there are others affected to a lesser extent.
The educational department in the City of Formentera decided to suspend classes while the caterpillars are chemically treated for eradication.
In the school grounds there are half a dozen adult pine trees, where the caterpillars have built nests. The caterpillars are known as "procesionaria" because they move in an aligned group, as in a procession.
Mothers of students explained that some of the children affected "seemed like monsters" because of the rash on their faces and they criticized the school for taking too long to treat the caterpillars, when for weeks the presence of the procesionaria's nests had been visible in the pine trees.
Apparently, during playtimes in the school yard, the children played with the caterpillars, resulting in inflammation and hives, and the children having to be treated medically.
In addition to the toxicity of procesionaria, both to people and to animals, this insect is known to damage pine trees as they feed on the leaves, defoliating the tree. (07/03/08).
As Antonio María Rouco Varela, the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid has been re-elected to lead the Bishops and the Catholic Church in Spain, it has been revealed that he and another Spanish bishop have been investing in Viagra and contraception. The Cuatro TV channel reports that the Archbishops of both Madrid, Rouco Varela, and Burgos, Francisco Gil, have made investments in the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, at a rate of 80,000 € a year. |
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However with the recent crisis over sub-prime mortgages, it is reported that the Archbishops have lost some 20% of their investment. (06/03/08).
A row has erupted in Granada where an association funded by the church’s Opus Dei group, has started to give courses to women in the city, so they can become a ‘mujer diez’ – a ten out of ten woman. |
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The row comes because the association has received a grant from the Partido Popular controlled City Hall, and left wingers IU have denounced the case saying it promotes stereotypic roles which are ‘discriminatory against women in the 21st century’. 8th March is 'International Womens’ day. (06/03/08).
The Algorfa PGOU (Plan General de Ordenacion Urbana) provides reassessment of the land owned by the family of Algorfa’s ex-Director of Housing.
Algorfa’s PGOU contemplates the reclassification of 2,300.219 sq. metres of rustic 'rural land' into ‘building land’. The land is the property of Samaguil SA an associated business of PP Domingo Alcocer and Cuchetto SL. The land belongs to the wife of the ex Director of Architecture and Housing in Algorfa, José Maria Garcia Zarco.
The land is situated between Sector III La Rellana and the CV935, and butts up onto the La Finca Golf Course.
La Finca Golf Course was constructed without any form of license or authorisation by the company Urbanizadora Villamartin SA and once built, it was legalised by the Government in Valencia. At this time Zarco was the Counsillor responsible for Planning (Urbanismo) along with José Ramón Garcia Antón, who continues directing the Council.
The project (PGOU) studies an area of roughly suitable building land, where some 5,000 houses will be built if the project is approved, out of the 13,751 properties that the PGOU contemplates, increasing the current population of Algorfa by 28,878 inhabitants.
The wife of José Maria Garcia Zarco, Maria Teresa Ballester Carreras, was the founder of the Cuchetto SL business according to the Alicante Business Register. She next acquired the firm Samaguil SA of Domingo Alcocer who owned the La Rellana Farm land in March 2000. At this time the illegal building of the golf course was progressing.
José Maria Garcia Zarco said in a statement to this newspaper, he indicated that he ‘does not know’ the content of the Algorfa PGOU and the reclassification of his family land (from rural to building).
The ex Counsellor said that “to day those lands are not being used for building and there is no sign of any building, and it is not known if it will be used for building”.
With this he added, “I am five years out of politics and this part of my business is separate”. Courtesy of Periodico Información (05/03/08).
The above is our translation. Please verify the translation by clicking this link.
An earthquake of 3.3 magnitude was recorded at 04:03 (GMT) am this morning, with the epicenter in San Miguel de Salinas, the earthquake was "widely felt" in various localities of the province of Murcia, informs the Institute National Geographic.
According to the same source, the earthquake was noticed in Pilar de Horadada, Torrevieja, San Pedro del Pinatar and San Javier in Murcia.
EFE notes 37 calls to the 112 emergency number, and a further 30 or so made to local police in Pilar de la Horadada. There were no personal injuries reported, and little material damage.
The earthquake occurred 37.94 degrees north latitude, longitude 0.88 degrees West. (02/03/08).
A new report from the United States Department of State claims that black money from drug trafficking in Spain has been feeding the Spanish property boom which has been seen along the coast.
The ‘2008 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report’ dedicates a whole chapter to Spain where it claims that there are local town halls which have preferred to ignore the origin of the money. It claims that given the high profitability of the construction sector over recent years, many coastal municipalities have turned their backs to the illegality of diverse construction projects in their towns. They note that the Prosecutor’s Office has acted in the face of this reality and note that in Málaga province alone, more than 200 cases of corruption linked to construction have been investigated.
The report calculates that upto 30% of the 500€ notes in circulation in Europe can be found in Spain, linked directly to the purchase of property for money laundering purposes. It describes Spain as the ‘grand European centre for money laundering’, as well as the grand door for the entry of illegal narcotics.
The report describes Spain as being the leading country for the use of illegal drugs in Europe, and says that one in five cocaine users in Europe lives in Spain where 3% of the population take the drug on a regular basis. It does note however that the Spanish authorities are acting firmly against the traffickers and that there is a high level of cooperation and ‘excellent relations’ with the United States drug fighting agency, DEA.
See full report. (02/03/08).
| The sound of whistles, sirens, pans and other objects accompanied a demonstration yesterday at La Marina. Neighbours showed their resounding rejection of the draft urbanization plan (PGOU), which intends to build some 1,600 homes. |  |
A huge banner, reading "No to demolition of the houses", stood in front nearly one thousand demonstrators.
The demonstration took place peaceably. Troops of the Civil Guard and the Local Police were placed along the route in order to control the diversion of traffic in the area.
Another banner read "We are not squatters, we are owners".
One of the demonstrators instisted, "We have the legitimate right to decide how we want to live and defend our properties. This is an urban development that only benefits abusive builder speculators. The water scarcity has not been taken into account."
The demonstrators concluded by saying they will give the Municipality a period of fifteen days to reflect and change their position. On day 15 demonstrators will meet to discuss taking actions "far more drastic."
Yesterday, a spokesman for Elche municipality, Alejandro Perez, pledged to meet property owners individually over the next few weeks to collect information about their expectations and proposals".
The City Council is now offering "dialogue and partnership" with neighbours of La Marina. (02/03/08).
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(01/03/08).
A man of about 50 years was imprison yesterday, after he admitted being an alleged perpetrator of various sexual abuse on least four children from 3 to 6 years on urbanisation Entrenaranjos, Orihuela. The British man is being charged with alleged sexual offences against minors. The man was arrested on Saturday by the Civil Guard in the Entrenaranjos urbanization, where he lived with his mother. |
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When other children in the park alerted a relative to the situation, the man fled. After searching, several parents caught the man and restrained him until the arrival of Civil Guard who proceeded to arrest him.
The detainee aparently has criminal records in his home country for similar events.
Last week through the Orihuela courts, a judge ordered the imprisonment of another man, aparently a neighbour, for an alleged sexual offence against minors. Courtesy of Información. (27/02/08).
| South American immigrants associations in Alicante have got together to set up a platform of support for the re-election of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero as Prime Minister, and say they are studying proposing him as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize for his ‘untiring work towards peace and equality.’ Their spokesman, Ricardo Picó, described Zapatero as ‘a humanist who has fought for the rights’ of the people, and noted the Prime Minister’s decision to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq, his project for an ‘Alliance of Civilisations,’ and his work at the head of the Spanish government ‘in defence of peace, equality and freedom.’ |
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A programme which the EFE news agency said was due to be broadcast on ITV this Monday night led the Mayor of Benidorm, Manuel Pérez Fenoll, to accuse the channel of ‘hidden interests’ in trying to ‘damage the city’s interests.’ He said it aimed to divert British tourists to other destinations in competition with Spain, and said it was based on lies and malicious rumours.
The EFE news agency said the programme reported on crime levels in Benidorm and the robberies suffered by British tourists. It was said to speak of organised gangs from Eastern Europe who target properties outside the town centre.
An ITV programme broadcast on Monday night, ‘Expats Under Attack,’ did indeed mention the Costa Blanca and the robberies suffered by British expats. It spoke of foreigners, especially Brits, being targeted by criminal gangs in Spain, and one person interviewed said police in Spain are poorly paid and tend not to want to spend too much time on a specific case. In Málaga province, it noted a stabbing in Fuengirola, and highlighted the case of Gary Dunne, who was stabbed to death near Torremolinos, Málaga province, in March 2006, and whose family have been fighting for permission to bring his body home for burial.
There was no mention of Benidorm on the Costa Blanca, but an area which did receive some attention was Torrevieja, where the programme noted a number of robberies suffered by residents in inland areas. Reporters said offences have fallen dramatically in the municipality as a whole, but added that the story is not the same inland, and interviewed a British woman who said she and her husband are now too scared to return to their inland home after a robbery where thieves broke in and threatened them with an axe.
She added, however, that despite the fact they are now living in a much smaller apartment and will probably never return to their house in the country, they have no intention of leaving Spain after living here for more than two decades.
Meanwhile ITV has asked for us to print the following statement:
"The Tonight programme, which airs this evening on ITV1, does not make any reference whatsoever to the death of a Scottish man who died after he was mugged in Benidorm town centre last December. We strongly refute any suggestion that we have “hidden interests” in trying to damage the city’s image.
The programme does not focus on the Benidorm tourist resort but predominantly looks at crime against ex-pats who have moved inland from the coast to more remote areas. The programme reflects the genuine concerns and experiences of British ex-pats that have been victims of home invasions and burglaries; and includes interviews with local journalists and crime writers on the Eastern European gangs targeting parts of Spain.
It is a balanced report that also refers to the successful efforts by Spanish police to combat crime in some areas of the Costas and comments by the Mayor of Torrevieja that offences have fallen by 40 per cent. Our report also includes a statement from the Spanish embassy that says that the rate of criminality in Spain is below the average of the European Union and below that of the UK."
Courtesy of m.p. (27/02/08).
A kangaroo found by a local man in a field near Elda (Alicante) is being looked after at the Animal Protection Society's centre in Villena until it regains its strength, after which it will be transferred to the Noah's Ark Foundation in Benimantell. According to Esther Esquembre from the Villena facility, the kangaroo "shows signs of not having been looked after correctly" because lumps of its fur are falling out, but "seems comfortable around people and does not struggle when we try and pick it up." |
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Ms Esquembre went on to explain that "it does not require immediate veterinary attention" and, until its transfer to Benimantell - "where Noah's Ark vets will conduct a more thorough analysis of its condition" - the kangaroo, which is 30cm (12") high, is merely being given "an adequate diet." Courtesy of thinkSPAIN. (26/02/08).
It’s sad to think as I drive through the small Spanish town of Hondón de las Nieves, that in a few short years this will all have become a concrete jungle. With its population of just 3,000 people, Hondón de las Nieves is about to play host to a €2.2bn property scandal with politics, greed and the unfairness of Valencia’s planning laws all playing their role in the town’s unfortunate destiny.
Turn the clock back just five years and Hondón de las Nieves was a dying town. Inland some 40 minutes from Alicante, it had little to offer its people, with many Spanish choosing to leave – putting the town’s school, doctors and other facilities at risk. Then along came a Dutch property developer with big plans – and a new urbanisation, “Mi Casa Family” also known as “Oasis”, was born.
Even today, with 10% of the properties still unfinished and a further 25% unoccupied, the new urbanisation already places a massive strain on the local infrastructure. The town’s water supply is compromised – which has resulted in big price rises in water charges this year, with no guarantees of supply. There isn’t even sufficient electricity coming onto the development to run the street lighting – let alone the houses! The developers, of course, play fast and loose with the truth – habitation certificates have, in most cases, yet to be granted – so almost all properties are ‘offered’ a builder’s supply. Homeowners live in blissful ignorance as their lights dim or go out each evening – the eventual connection to the ‘mains’ won’t help – the required electricity substation is still several years away.
The reasons for this disruption seem straightforward enough.
Locals are convinced that money came before due process when planning the urbanisation from the start – and that the infrastructure required under Valencian law played second fiddle to the money that was to be made by urbanising the land in the first place. Whatever the reasons, there is certainly clear evidence that Hondón de las Nieves is just not very good when it comes to urbanisations.
But this isn’t the real property scandal.
Enter the new urban plan
In early February 2008, the Mayor of Hondón de las Nieves and his political party announced ambitious plans for further development in the Town. At a time when the global economy is looking pretty shaky and the housing market in Spain is still reeling from the PR nightmare of massive, blatant over-development, demolitions and corruption scandals all openly discussed in the International media, developers and local politicians seem at ease with their heads firmly in the sand.
It is against this background that the Mayor proposes increasing the number of homes from 1,000 to 11,500, and the Town’s population from 3,000 to over 20,000 people within the next 15 years. That proposed 700% increase in population, almost double the rate allowed within the Valencia Region, will inevitably come at a price.
Local people – including Spanish, British, Dutch, Belgians, and many more nationalities besides – stand to lose their homes or their land for the ‘greater good’ as new roads and new infrastructure are installed.
A proportion of your land can be “grabbed” – without payment – and because your property now stands on urban land, this is considered compensation enough. Worse still, the land that you keep could itself be liable for a service charge – between €48 and €60 per square metre – so a plot reduced from 4,000 square metres to 2,400 square metres might be liable to pay around €120,000 for services that were never asked for.
A homeowner that cannot pay this money will be able to pay in land.
The losers
Almost everybody loses when you increase the size of a small town by seven times. Much of the rustic land outside of the town has been passed through the generations from family to family – and intended for children and grandchildren. There will be no possibility of this land being retained by these families.
Many new British residents have chosen this area in order to be away from the rampant building on the coast, only to find themselves in the middle of yet another building programme. Around the bars and the restaurants in the town, the “new city” is a hot topic of conversation.
The plan is weighted massively towards residential property – there is no sign that there will be new jobs or opportunities created for the people here – whether Spanish or Foreign, other than perhaps in construction, or in the new bars and hotels.
Those that stand to lose their home will, of course, be compensated – but in the past the declared value on the escritura has guided this figure. Those that have paid with black money in good faith will undoubtedly lose out, and may even have to pay tax on the profit they never even made!
Eventually everyone who owns property in the area will be affected.
Many people are keen to sell on the urbanisation – but with over 11,000 brand new homes in direct competition – the chances of any real money being made on an investment here over the next 15 years are starting to look increasingly slim. The same will be true of those selling up in the town or on the campo. There is too much competition.
Then there is the environmental damage. As sites are cleared, sanctuaries for wildlife get uncovered then destroyed. Local quarries work tirelessly to provide the raw materials for new homes – removing the tops from mountains, meaning further damage across the region. 15 years of excess will bring about irreversible damage that can never be undone.
Finally, for the people that live here the stark realisation will come that 20,000 into 3,000 doesn’t go. The school, the local doctor’s surgery, the post office, the local police, the electricity and water supplies are already at breaking point with an urban development of just 4% of what is now being proposed.
The winners
It’s certainly clear who the winners might be. Rustic land bought for knock down prices will automatically increase in value once declared urban, and then again when the services are installed. As we already know, in many cases the cost for those services is met by the landowners. Undoubtedly it is the urbanisers, the constructors, and all of the people involved in this chain that stand to gain.
When the European Parliament Petitions Committee researched corruption in the Spanish property market last year they concluded: “In a large number of documented cases town councils have concocted urban development plans less because of their real requirements related to population growth and tourism, more because of what often appears as their greed and avarice.”
It seems likely that this is happening here.
A closely guarded secret
There are some serious fortunes to be made for a lucky few. Yet in a bizarre twist, the town’s Mayor has publically announced that he is against the plans – describing them as ‘excessive’.
With over 600 pages of justification documentation, and hundreds of drawings and plans, the investment in terms of planning resources at the Town Hall must have been massive.
Surely this could not have been achieved without direct sponsorship from the Mayor himself?
In a town where 90% of the people don’t have an Internet connection, the plans have been thoughtfully posted on the Internet. Or at least in abridged form they have – they don’t show the detailed plans of each new street that the town hall possesses.
Apparently these can be obtained from Novelda, if you happen to have a spare €500! For those British residents that have already received letters about the forthcoming land grab, a visit to the Town Hall for advice reveals little more than a “Spanish shrug”. They face years of being unable to sell or improve their properties whilst the embargo is in place. The 45 day ‘public consultation’ period is a sham – there are vested interests at work to ensure that the details remain a closely guarded secret until that time limit has elapsed.
A €2.2bn property deal
Ultimately, the decision is being made by a handful of politicians, whom it is presumed by many will become big winners once passed.
If the average price of a villa in the area is 200,000 Euros, this is nothing short of a 2.2 Billion Euro property deal. It’s just sad to drive through such a lovely Town and think of all the destruction that lies just around the corner, and that money rather than real need has been the deciding factor. By Courtesy of The CoastRider. (26/02/08).
| A new United Nations report claims that as much as 26 percent of income for local town halls comes from real estate development. |  |
The UN report says that 26% of the income for local town halls comes from construction and this has promoted the speculation seen in the sector over recent years, according to the UN compiler of the report, Miloon Kothari.
The study looked at the sale of municipal land and the collection of the IBI rates and other taxes, such as granting permission to build.
The cases of Marbella and Mallorca are both highlighted in the new report. Kothari claims that uncontrolled speculation has taken place for the past twenty years and this, with the large number of empty properties, meant that Spain is bottom of the European list for access to housing. Those most to suffer as a consequence from this are named in the report as women, youngsters, pensioners, the disabled, gypsies, immigrants and the homeless.
The report says that in Spain there are 20.9 million homes for 14.1 million families. Once second homes are discounted, there are over three million empty flats, about 15% of the total. The report supports the policy in Cataluña where in extreme cases homes can be expropriated.
The United Nations warns that the current situation is not sustainable in the long term and says the government's housing policies have not managed to slow down the increase in home prices, although the new measures designed to stimulate rental were hoped to contain prices. They say what is needed is a firm agreement between developers, builders, public administration and society at large so that the right to proper housing can become a reality. Courtesy of Typically Spanish. (26/02/08).
On prime time TV tonight, ITV will be reporting on robberies to British citizens during their stay in Benidorm.
The perpetrators of the crimes appear to be organized crime gangs from Eastern Europe and the programme will attempt to demonstrate ways to protect properties lying outside the city of Alicante.
The mayor of Benidorm, Manuel Perez Fenoll, said today that the aforementioned television station seeks to "damage the image of the city" with "dark interests."
In his view, the programme aims to "divert tourists from the United Kingdom to other competitors." The TV programme "is sustained on lies, fabrications and disinformation: we are the safest tourist destination in the world."
"Here people are not afraid to go out at night or at any hour of the morning," pointed Perez Fenoll, "more than five million tourists visit us every year."
The first edil has stated that this is a "new media attack" Benidorm is an "unbeatable tourist destination and the city arouses much jealousy from other destinations, they yearn our success."
However, the mayor has announced, over the next few days, a meeting with the chief of police to discuss the situation and "take action if needed" to address the climate of insecurity exposed by the foreign community.
Perez Fenoll has already ruled in December, when the ITV team traveled to Benidorm to report on the perpetrators of crime against British citizens, that "Benidorm is the safest city in the world".
This statement prompted British residents of Benidorm to launch a campaign. Sources have indicated that the group of more than 5,000 people have signed a campaign with the slogan: "How many more deaths has there to be before violent robberies are taken seriously?".
For the British collective, violent robberies in Benidorm have been increasing, and therefore they are stressing that "this has to stop."
The 30 percent of the 70,000 registered inhabitants of Benidorm in 2007 were foreigners, according to data from the National Statistical Institute, and the British are the largest group.
This crime situation does not correspond to reality, according to sources in the delegation of Government.
The number of security servants employed in Benidorm has grown from 176 to 251 over the past four years, and crime against housing and establishments has gone down by 50 percent, overall crime in Benidorm has fallen by 30 percent.
In the last quarter the decline was "insurmountable", as the sub-delegated Encarna Llinares, noted a drop of 7.89 percent, which stresses especially home burglaries, fell some 36 percent.
Over the past year, in Benidorm 15 groups involved in the drug trade have been broken up.
The ITV documentary focuses on the death of a 70 year old Scottish citizen, in December 2007, after being pushed and falling on the floor. (25/02/08).
A truck carrying diesel overturned this morning on the road CV-91, in the municipality of Almoradi. Emergency Services quickly arrived on the scene to control diesel leaks.
The incident occurred at 8.58 hours on the road linking the towns of Almoradí and Rojales, at the Guardamar del Segura bridge.
People and cars around area of the overturned truck was evacuated until the cargo of diesel could be transferred to another truck.
The driver of the truck was seriously injured and was transferred to the Emergency Unit of the Hospital de la Vega Baja. (23/02/08).
Good news, Johnsons is changing their closing times on Saturdays and Sundays to 6:00 p.m. This gives us an even longer time to buy their freshly in-house baked french sticks. (23/02/08).
Click here to see. (23/02/08).
Numerous traders of a thriving local market gathered last weekend, in an effort to allay vicious rumours that their days on the site may soon be numbered.
The ‘Zoco’Sunday Market, near Montesinos, has provided a popular trading outlet for local businesses for many years. It is home to professional traders of all nationalities, who offer a variety of services and high quality products at unbeatable prices. These include Pinada Blinds, British Bedding, New 2 You and George Thompson’s Factory Outlet Store to name but a few. Extending a welcome pressure-free approach, Zoco has become an institution, and developed a reputation as one of the friendliest marketplaces in the area.
However, spirits have been significantly dampened recently, amid malicious rumours that it may face closure, due to the construction of a commercial centre on the site. The propaganda allegedly originated from one of the market’s competitors, whose intension, it seems, is to ‘poach’ both traders and punters from the established opposition. The said market recently expanded its provision, now hosting several positions which are available to let. Therefore the threat of closure at Zoco is being offered as a cunning marketing tool to attract new commerce. The Round Town News has also heard reports from residents, that news of Zoco’s closure has even been announced over the tannoy on several occasions during the recent weeks!
Naturally the Management and loyal business owners of Zoco market are extremely concerned at these reports and afraid that the rumours will begin to affect trade if allowed to diffuse.
George Thompson established his factory outlet store in Guardamar nine years ago, delivering a multitude of British necessities to residents of the Costa Blanca. He extended the provision with a stall at Zoco in 2001, and during which time has become a prominent feature of the market. George announced, “Clients have been devastated to learn that the market may be closing, and without cause, as there is not an ounce of truth in the rumour.”
Gordon Boyne of Pinada Blinds, in Formentera, said that the market forms a fundamental element of their business, and provides an outlet to display a range of products to the public. He would like to thank their clients for their continued support, and reassure them that their position within the market will continue for a long time into the future.
Trevor of the illustrious used quality furniture store, New 2 You, in Mar Azul, emphasised the urgency of the situation. He revealed that two clients had approached him during the morning, to say how sorry they were to hear that their favourite market would be no more in two weeks time.
The owner of the marketplace, Antonio Garcia Rodriguez was also extremely anxious that unassuming clients had been given false information about the market. Having spent six years working for the Local Police department and more recently as Treasurer for Almoradí Council, he is a respected figure of the community, with regular access to local development plans. He verified that planning permission has been granted by Algorfa Town Hall for construction of an Eroski Supermarket in Mentebello II. Further petitions are also being considered for a ‘Carrefour’ in Dolores and ‘Mercadona’ in Algorfa and an additional proposal has been submitted to the Valencian Government, for the siting of a multi-million euro shopping mall on the land which lies adjacent to the market place. However, its construction has yet to be approved in Parliament.
Conversely, the market has been a stable entity within the area for several years, and unlike many sites is legally registered for the purpose with the relevant department of Algorfa Town Hall.
Antonio was proud to announce that not only would the market remain in its current position for the foreseeable future, but that he had recently secured a contract to provide additional parking facilities. He concluded by saying that, “It is unjust that fictitious propaganda should be threatening the livelihood of so many honest businesses, which are here trading in good faith.” In essence Zoco market it is a fantastic market, providing a valuable service to the local community, and contrary to the hot gossip of the moment, is well and truly here to stay!
Heartworm disease (Dirofilariasis) is a serious and potentially fatal disease in dogs in many parts of the world. It is caused by a worm called Dirofilaria immitis. The disease is not spread directly from dog to dog. An intermediate host the mosquito, is required for transmission. Spread of the disease therefore coincides with the mosquito season. Mosquitos are generally seen from early spring until the end of autumn. |
 Heart worm extracted from heart and pulmonary artery of a dog. Worms usually are 8 mm in diameter, and females may grow to as long as 30 cm. |
If you require more detailed information about heartworm, there is a printable factsheet on our website: www.lafincavets.com. Toni Candela MRCVS and Hayley Marks VN. 22/02/08).
Last year Murcia's airport at San Javier attracted more than two million passengers, most of whom came from the UK. Sadly, it seems to have attracted criminals as well. A report has been received of a recent incident using and old technique. A couple had just arrived at the airport and picked up a hire car. As they approached the first roundabout on the road from the airport the car behind drove into the rear of their vehicle. |
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This is not the first report we have heard of this type of incident at the airport at San Javier and passengers, meeters and greeters, are advised to be on their guard. The technique is widely used and so great caution should be taken whenever a "bump" occurs on the roads. Courtesy of Round Town News. (22/02/08).
Spain grew faster than any G7 industrialised
country in 2007 but analysts say the end of a construction and property boom
will put a sharper brake on growth this year than the government expects.
Detailed growth figures released on Wednesday showed a gradual slowdown in
the euro zone's fourth-largest economy as tighter credit conditions cut
construction investment and consumer spending that drive over 70 percent of
growth.
The economy expanded a stronger-than-expected 0.8 percent quarter-on-quarter in the final three months of 2007 and 3.5 percent year-on-year, national statistics institute INE said.
It was the third consecutive quarter of slowing year-on-year growth, and the lowest rate since September 2005, leaving 2007 Spanish growth at 3.8 percent. That was down from 3.9 percent in 2006 but 1.1 percentage points higher than the euro zone average, as stronger business and public spending compensated for a fall in house building.
"Growth is going to slow down in Spain over the next few months but GDP will be the last place to show it," said Nicolas Lopez at M&G in Madrid. "In construction there is still inertia keeping up activity."
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Spain's government, fighting to retain office in a March 9 general election, says growth could fall below 3 percent in 2008 in the face of a global liquidity squeeze and falling demand for homes after years of over-building.
The government dismisses fears of a crisis or recession and said fourth quarter growth confirmed a gradual slowdown was under way. "Growth is going to slow towards rates closer to 3 percent in coming months," Economy Secretary David Vegara told reporters. However, private sector economists have cut back 2008 growth forecasts towards 2 percent, or lower, and some say Spain's 14-year outperformance of European rivals could end in recession.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, leading his opposition rival by 1.5 to 5 percent points in polls, has built up Spain's first budget surplus in 3 decades and is prepared to spend it to keep growth around 3 percent.
The government dismisses fears of a crisis or recession and said fourth quarter growth confirmed a gradual slowdown was under way."Growth is going to slow towards rates closer to 3 percent in coming months," Economy Secretary David Vegara told reporters. Underpinning the fourth quarter was a 4.4 percent rise in public spending, 8.6 percent expansion in capital goods investment and stronger exports.
On the downside was a fall in construction investment growth to 2.9 percent, nearly half the level seen a year earlier, and a slide in household spending to 2.7 percent growth.
Many Spaniards fear an economic crisis and, like a self- fulfilling prophecy, retail sales and industrial production are falling as households put off purchases."The data is showing slowing internal demand compensated by the external sector," said Jose Luis Martinez at Citigroup.
Robust 2007 growth numbers were a relief for Zapatero after January data showed record monthly unemployment, 12-year high inflation, a collapse in service activity and the lowest consumer confidence on record.
The government expects new house permit requests to fall to 550,000 in 2008 from a peak of 700,000 last year and put around 345,000 construction workers out of a job.
"Government spending could pick up to support growth but we're less convinced other areas like the external sector are going to be able to do anything," said Ben May at Capital Economics in London.
Spain's conservative opposition Popular Party warns of a sharp slowdown unless Spain cuts corporate and income taxes and raises competitiveness to fire up an idling industrial sector.
Spanish productivity grew 0.8 percent in 2007, its strongest level since 1996 but one of the slowest rates in Europe due to Spain's focus on low-skill construction and service jobs."Budget surpluses have a nasty habit of quickly evaporating when economic growth turns down," said David Owen at Dresdner Kleinwort in London. (Reuters) - (22/02/08).
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Something positive has resulted from the drought. A vineyard in Jumilla, Murcia has come up with what it is calling ‘vino light’. The new light wine comes thanks to help in the research from the Murcia and Cartagena University and the Technological Development Centre which is part of the Ministry for Industry. 2.5 million € has been invested in the project and the first bottles go on sale in April. |
The Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has unveiled ambitious new plans for the teaching of English in Spain. He has given an undertaking that 15% of total classes given in Spanish schools will be in English within four years, with the intention that children who pass through the Spanish education system will be bilingual and dominate the language in ten years.
For the plan to be put into action some 12,000 native English teachers are to be employed, together with a further 8,000 native teachers assistants. 20,000 Spanish teachers of English will meanwhile be given a month’s course in an English speaking country.
Speaking at an institute in Fuenlabrada, Madrid, the Prime Minister said that Spain needed the move to complete economically, and that Spanish youngsters would benefit by being able to compete professionally.
‘There are families who can easily pay for their children to travel or study abroad’, he said, ‘but our priority is for those who cannot’. (19/02/08).
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Formula One mogul, Bernie Ecclestone, has said that he does not think an anti-racism campaign is necessary in the sport. His views are in conflict with the sport’s control body the FIA who want to start the campaign. |
Police have broken up another lottery letter scam which operated from Málaga, and brought in more than 19,000 € over a period of three months in expenses demanded from the winners before they could claim their win. Seven arrests were made in Málaga and three in Huelva, all of them Nigerian nationals.
Police said the emails the suspects sent came from the Teatinos area of Málaga, and were sent using a neighbour’s internet connection without permission.
Letters went all over the world informing the recipients of their lucky win, and the investigation began with a report from Iran last year from a man who said he had received a letter from Málaga informing him of his win on the Spanish national lottery. He was told to make two bank transfers amounting to 5,000 € in order to claim the money. (18/02/08).
| The Cortés family say they are against a poster campaign launched in Spain by the McCann family which shows images of four year old Madeleine alongside their daughter, Mari Luz, who disappeared in Huelva on 13th January, and others pictured with Yeremi Vargas, who was seven when he disappeared from Gran Canaria last year. |  |
Mari Luz’s father, Juan José Cortés, said after a meeting with Manuel Chaves, President of the Junta de Andalucía, this weekend, that, while he is not against collaborating in the search for Madeleine and ‘even helping to draw up a poster of all the missing youngsters,’ the lines of investigation into the disappearance of the two young girls are distinct, and are being carried out in two separate countries. EFE said he is considering taking legal action for using his daughter’s image for the campaign.
The news agency noted his comment that the press in Portugal is reporting that the cost of the poster campaign is being met with 4,000 € from each family.
Juan José Cortés said after the meeting with Chaves, ‘the President has understood the pain we are suffering, and this type of meeting helps us to at least feel we have the support of the administration.’ (18/02/08).
AS PART of his pre-electoral campaign PP leader Mariano Rajoy has announced tougher measures against young offenders if he wins the general election. At a rally on Monday he told supporters that he would put a stop to underage murderers only serving a five-year sentence by bringing in a law that would see them go to prison as soon as they reach 18 years of age. |
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He also said that his party would reduce the age at which the young offenders’ law could be applied. At present offenders get custodial sentences from the age of 14 but he wants to see it reduced to 12 in order to combat the growing number of pre-teen gangs that are terrorising some areas.
Another promise made by Sr Rajoy was to increase sentences for those that attack homes where the occupants are in or commercial premises where staff are present. He also wants to see tougher sentencing for so called express kidnapping, child sex offences, racism and xenophobia.
Sr Rajoy said that he hoped his party’s stance on these issues would meet with the approval of the general public.
The PP’s stance on the sentencing of juvenile murderers has been influenced by the case of Sandra Palo in Madrid. Sandra was raped, run over and burnt alive in 2003, by a youth who was then given just five years in prison.
At present only a judge can order a young offender be transferred to prison when he or she reaches 18, the Partido Popular wants this to become the norm.
Punishment of young offenders differs throughout the European Union. In Spain and Italy for example 18 is the age when a prison sentence can be given, children under 14 cannot be held responsible and those aged between 14 and 18 have to go before a young offenders’ court to be tried.
In Portugal as well the UK, 16 is the legal age from when a minor can be given a full prison sentence, while in Belgium and Germany it is 18. (18/02/08).
THE COLSUR-Proambiente company owned by controversial businessman Ángel Fenoll bought up one of the possible sites to host the dump and waste treatment plant in Torremendo.
According to the ‘copia simple’ obtained by Torremendo residents’ association, the title deed of finca Las Pistolas was signed on April 27, 2007 but was not placed on the property registry until February 7 this year.
Mayoress Mónica Lorente offered to place the tip in Torremendo on January 3, despite Albatera having achieved higher marks to host the facilities.
Two areas in Torremendo – finca Las Pistolas and finca Lo Cartagena – have been earmarked as possible sites.Cespa-Ortiz was awarded with the project on January 3 and must present the plans for the plant by the summer when the final location will be established.
Torremendo residents’ association is planning to present a formal complaint to the anti-corruption prosecutor.
Ángel Fenoll is involved in the Operación Brugal affair which the prosecutor’s office has been investigating since May 2007.
Sr Fenoll spent a month in jail before being released on bail. Courtesy of Costa Blanca News (16/02/08).
Builders have been given the green light to construct more houses close to the watercourse area Los Invernaderos in San Miguel de Salinas.
According to the residents’ association San Miguel Arcángel the area will eventually have the same population as the town centre.
Association president Manuel Gómez explained the town hall had decided to apply the third transitory article of the LUV law to Los Invernaderos in the full council meeting on December 13.
“The builder is now allowed to reduce the space between the properties,” Manuel Gómez said.
“Moreover he is allowed to build as many apartments on each floor as he wishes, the number of floors is increased and he is not obliged to build single-family houses anymore.”
Sr Gomez alleged the council had not considered the future needs of the area.
“The town hall is not thinking about the quality of life of current and new residents,” he said.
“Their only thought is satisfying the builder’s needs and demands.” Courtesy of Costa Blanca News (16/02/08).
French giants Carrefour are looking at a plot in Dolores alongside the AP-7 motorway. Negotiations were reported this week to be at an advanced stage.
In Algorfa the council has approved a scheme for an Eroski store at Montebello II and it will now go before the regional government. Courtesy of Costa Blanca News (16/02/08).
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Don't forget La Zenia: see New Orihuela Retail Centre To Create More Than 1,000 Jobs.
Updated: July 2008
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