COURT REJECTS LOS MERINOS APPEALBy David Eade – Costa del Sol News
The Málaga court has rejected an appeal presented by the regional government against the decree issued by the mayor of Ronda, Antonio Marín, allowing the urban development at the projected Los Merinos golf, leisure and urban complex.
The court had accepted back in September 2007 the Andalucía authority’s appeal presented by the ministry of public works and transport against a ruling handed down in July of the same year. In that decision the court had rejected the regional government’s petition for the works to be paralysed.
Ironically the economic crisis in the housing market has done what the Andalucía government could not. All work on constructing the golf course, luxury hotels and homes has been put on hold by the developer until the market improves.
The regional government had made its case on the original plans submitted by Copisa and what was now proposed. However there are major concerns by the residents of Cuevas del Becerro and surrounding communities that the development, which has no water resources of its own, will drain the aquifers on which they have relied for generations. The Andalucía High Court (TSJA) rejected in January of last year a case brought by Cuevas del Becerro and Ecologistas en Acción on the water issue.
Meanwhile Copisa has paid over to Ronda town hall 10 million euros as laid down in its town planning agreement which has been used for projects in the municipality. At some stage the Catalan based company will want to proceed with its plans for 800 luxury chalets, three top notch hotels and three golf courses and it remains to be seen how the opposition to this potentially environmental damaging scheme will react.
VOTE CLEARS WAY FOR EROSKI
Last Friday Ronda held an emergency council meeting to amend the local development plan (PGOU) to clear the way for the Basque-based supermarket group, Eroski, to build a commercial centre on the old fair ground.
The development, Eroski’s largest in Andalucía, will occupy the former feria ground and the adjacent sports stadium that is currently being demolished. The vote to make the amendment was passed unanimously by all parties but three councillors were absent.
The councillor for housing and town planning, María José Martín de Haro, stressed the importance of approving the change of use to allow the major project that would serve Ronda, the Serranía and even the Costa del Sol to proceed.
However the Partido Popular although voting yes voiced its concerns over the development. Its spokesperson, María Paz Fernández, pointed out it is over a year since the sports stadium was taken over by Eroski yet little had happened. She queried the financial ability of the company to proceed with the giant commercial centre in the present economic crisis.
She also expressed her party’s worries that Eroski had yet to fulfil its contract over the acquisition of the old sports ground and pay the nine million euros that is due. Furthermore she added that the opposition parties had not been given sufficient information on what was happening with the development.
Francisco Cañestro, spokesperson for PSOE that along with the former Partido Andalucista councillors now governs Ronda, insisted this measure would open up progress on the commercial centre. He accused the PP of being negative saying – “where you see problems, we seek solutions.”
Ironically this Eroski development has been waiting in the wings for years so it now remains to be seen whether given the clear road ahead the Basque company is able to proceed as promised.
MEN ONLY
Ronda has 65 less jobless in June than the previous month. The total for the municipality stands at 4,094. Curiously the reduction only affected men with 1,910 now out of work. Women make up the majority of the jobless and their total is 2,184, the same as in May. A town hall work creation scheme took 50 off the job queues in June.
TOP LAB
The analysis laboratory at Ronda’s hospital – that also serves the medical centres in the Serranía – has received various awards from the Andalucía health authority for the high quality of its work from March 2009 to April 2010 after being accredited to the health quality agency. Some 40 professional technicians work at the lab which in one year carried out two million medical tests.
BUSINESS BOOST
Ronda’s new English councillor, Charlotte Wilmot, has signed an accord in Málaga that is aimed at boosting competitiveness amongst the business sector in the town. One aspect is to improve the image of the open commercial centre in the Calle Espinal known as La Bola. In addition there will be a mark of quality of service awarded to small business with high standards.
PLASTIC GREEN
The football pitch at Cuevas del Becerro will be forever green and useable after the traditional surface is removed and artificial grass replaced instead. Half the 550,000 euros cost has been met by the Andalucía ministry of tourism, with the balance split between Málaga province and the town hall. The added benefit is that the project will give work to a dozen people.
MUSIC PIRATES
The famous soprano, conductor and composer Pilar Jurado, hit out during a seminar in Ronda on the music pirates operating in Spain. She defended the right of those who work in the cultural sector to be paid for their work. She said the problem had to be solved, it wasn’t political although there were those in politics who wished to make it so.
STRONGER WINE
Ronda’s delegate for tourism, Francisco Cañestro, is anxious to boost the local wine industry and has formed a working group amongst the associations representing growers, the local agriculture office, the wine museum and restaurant sector. Amongst the initiatives will be leaflets describing the local wines plus visits to the vineyards. A competition is planned to boost awareness and the image of the wines.
NEW IMAGE
The signs of businesses in Ronda’s historic quarter have to be standardised. The delegate for tourism Francisco Cañestro wants to improve the image of the old quarter by ensuring businesses only have a single business sign instead of the present numerous placards. They have to be of predetermined materials and colours, be changed within two months with fines for those who don’t comply.
