Discussion about Scruffy Bits

Managed to get a lengthy time with Candido to discuss the things which residents of the area had been complaining about primarily issues of dirtiness, rubbish and things which make the place look run down.

1. The big hole in the ground past the pool bar in la Alfoquia. We cannot be seen to do anything overtly at this hole as it could be construed as building work and the Junta would take action. However, we could keep dropping soil and builders rubble into it surreptitiously to try and fill it.

2. The traffic islands in Cucador and on the main roads are becoming overgrown with weeds cxan we do something about the mess. I was told that these are the responsibility of the Diputacion. We will send a letter asking them to do something about it but we cannot enforce it.

3. The pile of sand left where New Horizons had done the paving in La Alfoquia has now become a litter tray. We will contact New Horizons and ask them to move it.(may help point 1!)

4. The empty ground floor building in La Alfoquia where it has become a graffiti den. We will look to see if we can fence it or get N.H. to do so.

5. The builders rubble left down by Calle Isaac Newton. We contacted Victorinio the builder who denied it was his fault as he had not been in the area for over a year. It is believed to be a colleague of his Manuel. The Polizia Local are going to look at it and see Manuel.

6. The Corner Bar Fiesta sign is an eyesore. I had asked about this before and had forgotten that a few weeks ago we passed a bye law in Pleno whereby we can take action against landowners who do not keep their land tidy. Once we get this bye law published in the Boletin we can then start action against any landowner not complying. I also undertook to speak with the previous owner of the Corner Bar to see if we could get it taken down before we have to go through this process. 

7. The amount of rubbish is building up around the area from the Almond factory in La Alfoquia. We will send the Polizia Local to speak with him again. It seems this is a regular occurrence. He tidies up then slowly starts to encroach on public and with his rubbish.

I said I hoped that he did not mind me bringing so many environmental issues to him and he said that that was my job and that we need to try and deal with such issues. 

On other matters I asked on behalf of the residents of Calle Albert Einstein for the roads there to be tarmaced or at least stoned. Candido said there was a bit of a problem about that area regarding ownership but he would see if we could get it tarmaced.

I said that we still had not put out all the street signs. Francisco said that Paco (the chief Town Hall handyman) has the list it was just getting time to get around to it. I said we had been waiting a while! He said he would speak with him.

I also asked about the work being done to the little church in Llanos del Peral. It transpires that it not the actual little church that is being worked on but the house adjacent to it. The idea being to bring it up to a suitable standard to be used by all the community for various projects. They are installing and renovating the place for that purpose. 

The next lot of Airmax aerials are due later this week or early next week. There is already a waiting list. The new uprated aerials are currently being installed in Cucador, Cuesta de los Pinos, Palaces and Carasoles. This should negate any of the recent problems.

Comments

[NEPatriot]

Jim, if I may return to a previous blog entry of yours. You reported that the mayor had stated that all infrastructure was in place.
Whether the mayor has lied to you or not, is not something I wish to debate but,
I am prepared to question the accuracy of his statement.

When he referred to infrastructure, did he detail what this should actually be?

According to the EU directive which deals with urban infrastructure, which has been accepted by Spain and is incorperated in the LOUA document ( I have copies in Spanish and English) it states quite clearly, what the infrastructure should consist of and when it should be put in place.

For the benefit of clarity, the infrastructure should consist of the following:
Proper road access ( a dirt track does not comply with this requirement).
Street lighting.
Mains drainage (Spain chose NOT to make any variance on this requirement, even though it was known at the time, that there was insufficient treatment capacity to fully provide mains drainage!). 

This infrastructure to be in place BEFORE any construction work takes place. This is also clearly stated in the LOUA!

The provision of the infrastructure, is all part of the legalisation process, although, in itself, it is not a guarantee of legallity!

Now we come to the part where I question the accuracy of the mayors statement (claim).

A week last Wednesday, you visited your friends at Casa Cruz, a villa on a small urbanisation in Palaces.
To get there, you drove and in so doing, you passed over a road that doesn't exist, passing street lights that aren't there!
Had you used your friends facilities, the waste would have been flushed into a rudimentory septic tank, not in to a main drain!

You cannot deny the evidence of your own eyes and as this situation has existed for nearly seven years, I find it incredibly hard to believe that you were willing to believe a statement, which, to put it politely, was inaccurate!

[Jim Simpson]

The facts he gave were not inaccurate.This subject has been covered at length in previous posts. Please refer back to them for more in depth answers.In precis what I said was what the Mayor said, when I was asking about what the Licences of 1st Occupation meant. He informed me that according to Spanish law a Town Hall must issue a Licence of 1st Occupation to the first owner of a house in Spain when that Town Hall is satisfied that all the necessary infrastructure to comply with Spanish Law is in place. He did list, and I included, in the blog these factors. I also explained what else is being done.  I would also suggest that, if he were to have acted out-with these rules, the authorities would have been down on him like a ton of bricks.As you know they have been trying to find something to charge him with for the past 2 and a half years! Do you seriously think he would make such statements to me for publication in this open forum (which we now is monitored by other Spanish politicians) if it were not factually true and accurate!He also confirmed to me that he has never given me any false information in any of our discussions and I see no reason to question his statements.I do not dispute your facts what I dispute is the timing of the application of these requirements as relates to the Town Halls of Spain. Whilst Spain may have adopted all the factors they were not in place at the time the building licences or Licences if 1st Occupation were granted.

[Ken Cross]

Jim,

although the WiFi has had its teething problems can I congatulate the Town Hall for providing an excellent service at a great price.

We are often quick to complain when things go wrong, but credit where its due.

Gracias.

[mini hedges]

[this is good] Just a short one, yes the wifi is very much better now had no problems at all so cheers to the town hall for doing something quick for a change cant really fault them this time. thanks