AVE BUDGET BOOST FOR 2011By David Eade – Costa del Sol News
Last week the socialist MP Daniel Pérez steamed in to Ronda’s railway station like an express train in a hurry. His urgent message was that in the government’s budget for 2011 675,000 euros has been assigned to the AVE link between Bobadilla and the town of the Tajo.
Pérez hoped to signal the claim by the Partido Popular MP, Begoña Chacón, that only 100,000 euros had been set aside was nothing more than an engine blowing hot air. The former leader of the PP in Ronda said this called in to question the government’s commitment to the project.
Not so said Pérez. He promised the green flag had been waved but couldn’t say when the train would leave the station. That, he said, was a matter for Adif, the railway infrastructure company.
On hand was Francisco Cañestro, PSOE’s secretary general in Ronda. “The AVE will be a reality in Ronda and it will arrive within the timetable set by the socialist government,” he assured the media. Cañestro went further and insisted that the AVE would arrive in Ronda in 2012 as had been promised by the then minister of public works, Magdalena Alvarez, when she visited Ronda to launch the scheme.
In addition to the AVE funding Pérez said the government would spend 11.6 million euros in 2011 on upgrading the line between Ronda and Cortes de la Frontera. This is part of the massive spending the line is receiving between Ronda and Algeciras spread over several years.
Meanwhile the other major infrastructure project promised for Ronda – a new toll motorway to the Costa del Sol will have its study published shortly. The Andalucía public works and housing ministry says the documents will be sent in the coming month to the town halls along the route and to the Málaga provincial authority.
The proposed road would stretch for 32.8 kms running directly from Ronda to San Pedro. It would replace the existing road, one of the major accident black spots in the province. It would also slash travel times from 55 minutes to little over 20 minutes on a two lane highway.
However the PP has questioned the socialists’ commitment to this project too as it was announced before the last national and Andalucía elections and is still at the report stage.
PSOE WIN
A recent opinion poll has shown that the PSOE party in Ronda which has taken in PA mayor Antonio Marín and his fellow councillors would win between 10 and 11 seats at the local elections. The Partido Popular would take 7 – 8, with the IU and PA taking between 1 and 2. PSOE would have a massive 62.8 per cent of the vote.
STEP NEARER
The outlying districts of Ronda – Montecorto and Serrato – have moved a step near to becoming independent municipalities. Currently they have local autonomy but they are so far from the town centre that the town hall has backed their separation. Last week the council passed a motion to set the segregation in motion. The regional government has already approved the two zones becoming municipalities.
GENERAL USE
A new sports centre at La Dehesa in Ronda is underway. It will cost over one million euros and take nine months to complete. It’s being constructed within the grounds of the Virgen de la Cabeza school and will be used by pupils and the public. Over two floors it’ll have two sports pitches, one covered and will be used by 2,000 people.
GETTING THERE
The massive building project around Ronda to create a series of road accesses to the town is now 70 per cent complete. The work is costing over 13 million euros and is being funded by the Andalucía government. The three key access roads with flyovers are due to be finished by next spring. The scheme’s created 202 jobs of which 107 are direct.
BARRACK PARKING
The space occupied by the former Concepción barracks in the centre of Ronda was used for parking during the fair then closed. In the interim the area has been resurfaced, walls built and lighting installed and has now been opened again and can accept over 200 cars on 5,000 square metres. The demolition of the barracks cost 600,000 euros from State aid funds.
FRUIT ROBBERY
National Police in Ronda arrested a 43-year-old man accused of holding up a fruit shop at gun point. He struck at 14.30 on October 25 when the shop had closed and the staff were counting the takings. Some witnesses say there was a second man armed with a knife. When detained the accused had 130 euros still in a bag from the shop.
THIRD MAYOR
The new mayor of Gaucín is the Partido Andalucista’s Francisco Macías - deputy to the outgoing PP mayor Francisco Ruíz who resigned for personal reasons. He was elected with the support of the PA councillors and Ruiz. New PP councillor Pedro Godino put himself forward but received only his own vote. Since the last election Gaucín has had a PSOE, PP and PA mayor.
NUT CASE
Ten people have been arrested in Igualeja for stealing 300 kilos of chestnuts that had been stolen from various growers’ stores overnight. Local police stopped vehicles on local and Ronda roads with the nuts on board. They were an organised gang who were taking the chestnuts worth1,800 euros to market. In their cars were tools to break in to the growers’ premises.
CHESTNUT COOKING
International chef Dani García visited Genalguacil last Monday to hold a master class on how chestnuts can be used in cooking recipes. Genalguacil is the highest village in the Valle de Genal and of the 8,900 hectares in Andalucía given over to the growing of chestnuts 3,000 are in the valley. Amongst the dishes was a grill of pork with mushrooms and chestnut puree.
