RED FACE FOR GREEN COUNCILLOR OVER ILLEGAL HOMEBy David Eade
Seprona, the environmental arm of the Guardia Civil, have taken legal action against a councillor in Cortes de la Frontera who has allegedly built a house in a river bed. Ironically the politician is from the Izquierda Unida – Los Verdes so is meant to be a defender of the environment.
The investigation started when Seprona spotted the property that had been constructed in the bed of a stream. Such land is zoned as being in the public domain. The law prohibits any construction as it would obstruct the waterway in the case of heavy rain or the river running and could cause extensive flooding.
Further enquiries by the Guardia Civil revealed that the home was owned by the councillor. In addition it has been established that he neither applied for nor received any licence to construct the building so it is illegal on two counts.
Officials at socialist controlled Cortes de la Frontera town hall insist they had no knowledge of the existence of the house and confirmed that no planning permission or licences has been sought or issued. If the court finds the councillor guilty then the house will have to be demolished.
NO RISE
In his first interview since his Partido Andalucista councillors joined PSOE in Ronda mayor Antonio Marín has stated there will be no IPC rise in 2010 and some local taxes may fall. He stated that the regional government would grant the licence for the Eroski commercial centre on Tuesday. On his decision to switch parties Marín said the PA was now dead.
NO PARKING
The parking zone at Blas Infante by Ronda’s bullring is to close on August 3 on the orders of the regional government that says the zone should free from cars as too are other important historic sites. It will now become a pedestrian zone. The workers will be transferred to the parking area at the former El Castillo college in the old town.
MEDAL WITHDRAWN
The commission of the ‘Memoria Histórica’ in Ronda, charged with the removal of all the symbols related to the Franco era, has stated that the gold medal awarded to the dictator and his naming as an adopted son in 1967 would be withdrawn. Examination of the archives shows the dual honours were conferred when the military commander José Luis Gabarrón Zambrano was mayor.
CROSSING DEATH
A 30-year-old woman was killed last Monday by a train after driving in her car onto a railway crossing without a barrier in Ronda at km 67.9 on the road to El Burgo. The driver was a worker at the nearby Serranía regional hospital. The tragedy happened at 17.00 and train services were disrupted for an hour. The local police are holding an investigation.
GIVE FURNITURE
Ronda’s social welfare department is launching a plan whereby used furniture can be donated to those who are suffering economic hardship in the municipality. A storage unit is to be allocated in the next two weeks at the new fair ground which will be managed by the cleaning company, Soliarsa. A telephone number will then be issued for those who have furniture to donate.
