CalpeNoticias EN

Calpe (13-11-2024) - The plenary session of the Calp Town Council has approved with the only votes in favour of the government team (Somos Calpe - PSOE - Compromís) to start the process to declassify the Garduix I and II, Pla Feliu I and II and Ràfol I sectors and II to reclassify them as endowment land. Defendamos Calpe voted against and the PP abstained.

The aim of the government team is to preserve the last green lung that exists in the municipality of Calpe, an area of 300,000 m² contemplated in the PGOU of 1998 as developable to use it as a sports, educational, recreational or cultural endowment. To this end, the council intends to acquire the land by compensating the owners through expropriation.

The proposal has been the subject of intense debate between the different municipal groups.

Defendamos Calpe councillor Toni Tur explained that his party is in favour of declassifying the land at zero cost, i.e. to rustic land and not for use as a public use site, and that there was a report supporting this option. And he has accused the councillor for Territorial Planning, Juan Manuel del Pino, of changing his opinion on this matter. ‘He understands that in a case where the budgets and the economy of our municipality are going to be compromised, we have reticence in the face of these changes of opinion’, he said.

For his part, the spokesman for the PP municipal group Miguel Crespo said that this proposal, which he described as ‘populist’, ‘reckless’ and ‘utopian’, ‘has no legal guarantee for our municipality’ and that ‘it could compromise our council as has happened in neighbouring municipalities such as Benidorm with the Serra Gelada land’. And he added that: ‘we consider it necessary to develop these six sectors with the preservation of green areas and the cultural heritage they contain as well as obtaining land for our municipality but always through urban development agreements with the owners to safeguard their rights’.

The spokesman for Somos Calpe and Territory councillor, Juan Manuel del Pino, pointed out that this proposal is the result of reflection by both the political powers and the citizens, who participated massively in the prior consultation process, and assured that it is backed by jurisprudence and, therefore, with legal certainty to carry it out. ‘We wanted to take advantage of the power of the public to act in the urban planning of our municipality, to give a design to our urban planning that serves the general good of our citizens and our environment’ and added that “the people of Calp will thank us for it”.

Guillermo Sendra, spokesman for the socialist municipal group, said: ‘We have taken a historic and courageous decision, and the best proof is that none of the previous councils have taken it’ and that it is ‘based on the necessary legal reports’. ‘It is a step forward in sustainable development, the biggest ever taken in Calp, with this measure we are going to safeguard this green lung. And he explained that if they were to remain as rustic land, they would remain in private hands and could not be enjoyed by the citizens of Calpe.

Compromís spokesman Ximo Perles explained that in the public consultation, this municipal group presented an environmental report commissioned to a private company so that it could objectively propose different options to protect this space and assess which was the most protectionist of them all. The report determined that ‘the greatest degree of protection was achieved by expropriation’, which is the option that was finally chosen. ‘It is the fairest option and the one that best protects the public interest. She added that she would like to think that future generations will come to believe that ‘politics is useful and that there was a corporation at the time that was not motivated by economic interests and that assumed the responsibility of making decisions with future generations in mind’.

The mayoress Ana Sala stressed that ‘the urban planning that we have in Calpe was decided 30 years ago, today after 30 years and seeing what we have, we have to make other decisions; we need sports and educational infrastructures, we have no land for infrastructure; we have the responsibility to make decisions that are best for the general interest’. In addition, he pointed out that ‘there is nothing at zero cost’ and that to date there are 14 million euros in land use units in Calp pending materialisation.

Cemetery Commission

The plenary session also approved the creation of a special commission to investigate exhumations carried out in the municipal cemetery without the consent of the legal heirs, following a new case detected recently. The agreement was adopted with the votes in favour of the government team and Defend Calpe and the abstention of the PP.

The commission will be made up of one councillor from each municipal group and chaired by the councillor responsible for the Eternal Rest Park, Marco Bittner, who has been delegated by the mayoress.

Quisi Ravine

Likewise, it was unanimously approved to request the Hydrographic Confederation of Júcar, the body responsible for the cleaning and naturalisation of public watercourses in the municipality of Calpe, especially the Quisi ravine. It is intended that the CHJ remove the Arundo Donax reeds, invasive species through the technique of solarisation - with black tarpaulins that reach a high temperature that kills the root of the plant - and then planting native species.

Following the recent storm that has affected several Valencian municipalities with catastrophic consequences, Calpe's Environment Department has begun work to clean up the Quisi ravine, specifically in the area of the Casanova bridge, despite the fact that it is the responsibility of the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation.

Two bulldozers are working on the ground in this preventive emergency action. The aim is to remove the Arundo Donax reed that proliferates in the bed of this ravine and thus avoid possible obstructions that could lead to the river overflowing. The Environment Councilor, Pere Moll, stressed that: ‘we cannot remain impassive in the face of the threat posed by this situation; if we do nothing, a catastrophe could happen and we want to avoid a repeat of the disasters we have suffered and guarantee the safety of our neighbours’ and indicated that ‘the CHJ's inaction cannot be an excuse’.

A measure that takes on greater importance in view of the weather forecast of a new storm for the middle of this week.

On the other hand, the Environment Department has placed Posidonia meadows in the southern area of La Fossa beach - the closest to Penyal d'Ifac - in order to prevent sand loss during the next storm.

Friday, 8th:

• 12 h - Collaborative shoe-painting action to make visible the fatal victims of male violence in 2024. Plaza Mayor. As part of the programme of events for 25N.
• 19 h - 8th Innovadodra Communication Meeting: with Anne Igartiburu and Teresa Perales. Diamante Beach Hotel. Registration.
• Expo 28th R.C.N.C. Children's and Young People's Drawing Cobtestn: ‘The Calpe Royal Yacht Club and the Fishermen's Guild’. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until the 19th of November.
• Exhibition ‘10 years committed’ by the Association of Women for Equality Calpe. Women for Equality Association of Calpe.
• Photographic exhibition on occasion of the Centenary of the Calpe Fishermen's Guild. In Plaza Colón, Plaza Constitución, Plaza Beato Sendra, Plaza Manuel Miró and in the port (next to the Fishermen's Guild).

Saturday, 9th:

• 18 h - Concert by the Rondalla de Calpe with the participation of ‘La Miliaria’ from the Centro de Mayores de la Roda (Albacete). Auditorium. Free entrance.
• Expo 28th R.C.N.C. Children's / Youth Drawing Contest: ‘The Calpe Royal Yacht Club and the Fishermen's Guild’. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until the 19th of November.
• Exhibition ‘10 years committed’ by the Association of Women for Equality Calpe. Women for Equality Association of Calpe.
• Photographic exhibition on the occasion of the Centenary of the Calpe Fishermen's Guild. In Plaza Colón, Plaza Constitución, Plaza Beato Sendra, Plaza Manuel Miró and in the port (next to the Fishermen's Guild).

Sunday, 10th:

• 18.30 h - Antonio Ferrer ‘El Cartero’ National Amateur Theatre Contest:  ‘Cuando no ves la luz’, by the company ‘Twister Teatro’. Auditorium. Free admission.

• Photographic exhibition on occasion of the Centenary of the Calpe Fishermen's Guild. In Plaza Colón, Plaza Constitución, Plaza Beato Sendra, Plaza Manuel Miró and in the port (next to the Fishermen's Guild).

The Councillor for Registration, Paqui Solivelles, and the Councillor for Residents, Marco Bittner, held a meeting a few days ago with the Chief Commissioner Manuel La Fuente at the Provincial Police Station in Alicante, with the aim of exploring improvements in the services related to their departments.

Among the highlights of the meeting was the confirmation of the continuity of the itinerant campaigns for the renewal of the ID card in Calpe, which will be significantly improved next year with the addition of a mobile office, which will significantly speed up the procedures.

In addition, Calpe Town Council has begun the procedures for the installation of a virtual kiosk that will allow citizens to update their DNI details without having to travel to the nearest police stations, located in Benidorm or Denia.

In consideration of the significant foreign population residing in the municipality, Calpe Town Council has made itself available to the Police Station to implement technological solutions to facilitate the management of procedures related to the NIE and TIE.

The Chief Commissioner showed a special sensitivity towards the social reality of Calpe, leaving the doors open for future collaborations to further improve services to citizens.

Calpe Town Council, through AEMCO, is launching the second call for the Bono Comercio campaign with the aim of continuing to encourage shopping in local shops. The Town Hall will allocate 230,935 euros to this initiative after having distributed a total of 8,135 vouchers worth 540,830 euros in the first call.

Individuals over 18 years of age, registered in the municipality, will be able to benefit from this campaign and will be able to purchase the vouchers through a consumer platform (bonocomercioCalpe.es). The vouchers will have a value of 20 €, 50 €, 100 € and 150 € each, which can be redeemed in the establishments participating in the campaign.

The vouchers are 50% subsidised so consumers double the value of their purchase. Each citizen can apply for a maximum of €150 in vouchers and each voucher purchased can be redeemed on a single purchase which must be equal to or greater than the value of the voucher.

Vouchers can only be redeemed at participating establishments. People who have been beneficiaries of the purchase of vouchers in the first call, may opt to purchase vouchers and obtain a new corresponding subsidy, with the maximum limit that a beneficiary can acquire for the whole campaign, namely: three hundred euros (300 €) in vouchers.

Before the end of the year, the Bono Consumo Campaign is planned, financed by the Provincial Council, which will include other economic sectors such as the hotel and catering industry, gyms, beauty centres, etc.

On Friday 8th November, Calpe will be holding the 8th Innovative Communication Meeting, which will feature the well-known television presenter Anne Igartiburu and the Paralympic sportswoman Teresa Perales.

Apart from her work in the world of television and acting, Anne Igartiburu has been a Certified Professional Coach by the International Coach Federation (ICF) for 12 years, as well as a trainer and lecturer. As a coach she focuses on working on identity from the perspective of values and emotions. At this Innovative Communication Meeting she will give a conference entitled ‘Living in coherence with your values’.

For her part, swimmer Teresa Perales is the winner of 28 Paralympic medals, making her the Spanish Paralympic athlete with the most medals, winner of the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, lecturer and personal and sports coach. Her conference is entitled ‘The power of a dream’.

The VIII Innovative Communication Meeting will be held at the Diamante Beach Hotel from 19:00. It is a free event and all those interested should register here.

This meeting aims to be a platform to share experiences, motivate and disseminate tools to improve communication in the business sector. The initiative is organised by Calpe Town Council together with CREAMA.

The local government will bring to the November plenary session the declassification of the sectors called Garduix I and II, Pla Feliu I and II and Ráfol I and II as developable to reclassify them as endowment land.

The sectors of Rafol I and II, Feliu I and II and Garduix I and II form a large green lung of 300,000 m² in an area of residential developments, these sectors already appear in the PGOU of 1998 as land for development, however in recent years there have been numerous voices that have opted for the environmental preservation of the area.

The aim of the Town Hall is to alleviate the urban pressure and preserve this green lung by using it for sports, educational, recreational or cultural purposes. The City Council intends to acquire the land by financially compensating the owners for expropriation and compensation.

This is a historic decision as it modifies the urban dynamics of the municipality and also proposes a different way of compensating the owners as it will not be done by means of units of use or by increasing the volume in other areas as has been done until now. This decision opens the way to a new way of managing urban planning in the municipality.

The process to reach the declassification of the land has been long and costly, in 2018 it was agreed to approve the proposal to the plenary of Compromís Calp for the technical services to prepare an environmental and economic impact study regarding the declassification of these sectors.

In 2019, a report by the Urban Planning Technician points out that according to jurisprudence, the fact that the sectors have not been developed in the last 20 years means that at the time of compensating the owners, the land is valued as it is and not for the urban development rights that have not materialised.

In June 2020, a public consultation was held on whether to maintain these sectors as land for development or to declassify them. A total of 214 people participated in this process of public participation with very different solutions, however, according to the document, the citizens understood the object of the consultation as a problem that should be addressed by the City Council.

Already then, the Council and the Municipal Technical Services indicated that the alternative to be studied was to try to conserve these sectors as they are. The Technical Services drew up an initial strategic document to propose the declassification of these areas and their conversion into green zones or land not for development.

Finally, the local government will take to the November plenary session the request to modify the General Plan to declassify the sectors Garduix I and II, Pla Feliu I and II and Ráfol I and II as developable and to reclassify them as endowment land for different uses, whether cultural, recreational or sporting, and to begin processing them.

The mayoress, Ana Sala, added that ‘the General Plan of Calp dates back to 1989, in recent years we have tried to improve it within the limited room for manoeuvre we have and adapt to social sensitivity, after so many years the sensitivity of citizens in this regard has changed, today citizens choose to preserve these spaces and also give them a public use for the enjoyment of all’.

All the members of the government team were satisfied with both the initiative itself, protecting the sectors, and the procedure for carrying it out, expropriation and compensation.

Over the last few days, Calpe Town Council has carried out a series of actions in the municipal cemetery to ensure that these facilities are in the best conditions for the celebration of All Saints' Day next Friday.

The municipal workers have carried out painting work in various areas and have repaired tombstones, carried out gardening work and planted chrysanthemums.

On the other hand, the municipal cemetery will be open from 8am to 7pm on Wednesday 30th and from 8am to 9pm on Thursday 31st so that citizens can decorate the niches and visit these facilities without any time limit. Also on Friday 1st November, All Saints' Day, the Municipal Cemetery will be open from 8am to 8pm.

In addition, Calpe's Culture, Old Town, Cemetery and Commerce departments have prepared various cultural and leisure activities to celebrate All Saints' Day.

This afternoon, the Department of Culture is organising the talk ‘Ars moriendi: preparació per a una bona mort’ at the Saló Blau, given by Francesc Monjo and Joaquim Blas Pastor.

On Thursday 31 October, Calpe's shops will also be celebrating Halloween with a parade of terror that will start in the Plaza Mayor square and go around the different shops in the town centre. This will be followed by a mini-disco with photocall in the Plaza Manuel Miró.

On Friday 1 November, All Saints' Day, the municipal cemetery will host concerts by the string trio Camerata Amicitia at 11am and 5pm, organised by the Culture and Cemetery Departments.

 And the Revitalisation of the Old Town Department for the is organising ‘A la llum dels ciris’ on Saturday 2 November. The initiative consists of lighting up the Plaza de la Villa and the Plaza del Beato Sendra with candles (either wax or batteries) from 6 p.m. onwards and switching off the street lighting in the adjacent streets to create a magical and unique atmosphere in the historic centre of Calpe.

In this beautiful and unusual setting there will be guided tours and several concerts, such as a touring concert by Clau de Fa or the renowned pianist David Gómez at the door of the church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves.

Citizens (both neighbourhoods and businesses) are asked to collaborate by placing candles, torches or warm lights in the doors and windows of their homes or restaurants. These can be of any type, size or colour, wax or battery operated, as long as they are warm light.

The local government of Calpe has expressed its indignation at the delay on the part of the Directorate General of Coasts, Ports and Airports in authorising the installation of the sculpture of the Mare de Dèu del Carmen in the port area.

This sculpture designed by the artist Arturo Serra Gómez is intended as a tribute from Calpe to the seafaring family during the celebration of the centenary of the Brotherhood, but with three months to go before the end of the year and the end of the celebrations, there has still been no response from the Directorate General for Coasts, Ports and Airports regarding the authorisation to install the sculpture in the port area.

In 2022, permission was already requested from the Directorate General of Ports of the Department of Public Works for the installation of the sculpture of the Mare de Déu del Carme in the area of the port where a group of containers are now located.

In January and March 2024, authorisation was requested again to install the sculpture in the year of the centenary of the Confraternity. In April the response from the Directorate General was that it was not possible to cede land but it was possible to authorise its occupation, so in June the City Council again sent the definitive project and the awarded sculpture, requesting authorisation again for the installation of a sculpture of the Virgen del Carmen at the access to the port area.

Since then, the City Council has not received any communication on the matter despite continuous calls requesting information on the status of the file. In August it was unofficially communicated by the assigned technician that his opinion was favourable in the absence of the director's signature.

The sculpture was created by the sculptor Arturo Serra at a cost of 155,000€. The work represents the Virgen del Carmen, patron saint of sailors, according to the traditional iconography, that is, with the child in her arms and the scapular in one hand, on the base of the offering of flowers, and accompanied by three costaleros/carriers (anonymous) and a child, representing three generations (grandfather, father, young man and child).

The mayoress said that ‘we regret to inform that the installation of the sculpture in commemoration of the centenary of the Fishermen's Guild of Calpe cannot be installed during the centenary year as we have not obtained authorisation from the Directorate General of Coasts. And this was initiated just after the declaration by the plenary session of 2024 as the commemorative year of the centenary. We understand that there have been different situations that may have delayed the concession of the installation, but this time, these delays lead us to an irreparable situation’.

The Mayoress of Calp, Ana Sala, together with the Councillor for Culture, Guillermo Sendra, and the Councillor for Tourism Planning, Mireia Ripoll, visited Bays de la Reina this morning after the completion of the adaptation works that have been carried out in recent months and which involve the implementation of the museumisation of the site. In fact, these works will allow this enclave, one of the most important archaeological sites in its category in Roman Hispania, to be opened to the public on a regular basis.

The works carried out represent the initial actions foreseen in phase A of the Master Plan for this archaeological area, drawn up by the Diputación de Alicante, which has financed the works with 439,388.69 euros.

The company awarded the contract for the works, the joint venture formed by Alebus Patrimonio Histórico and Signia Soluciones Técnicas, has installed wooden walkways that set two itineraries that will allow visitors to see the main archaeological sites: on the one hand, the Domus rotunda with its baths and circular mosaic (4th century) and on the other, the hydraulic complex with the waterwheel and a series of villas (2nd century A.D.).

In addition, remains of the site have been re-excavated and consolidated, which for the first time will be included in public visits and which are thought to correspond to a possible industrial structure due to their rustic construction and their proximity to the waterwheel and hydraulic complex.

In addition, safety measures have been implemented at the site, such as the installation of a horizontal sliding roof over the area of descent to the hydraulic complex, which until now was unprotected, and a wooden structure with nets covering the turning area of the waterwheel to prevent possible falls. The damaged walls and structures have also been consolidated and gravel of different shades has been laid to allow visual identification of the areas intervened, which will facilitate their interpretation.

The works have also consisted of the installation of a new fence on Avenida de Europa, with an access more in keeping with an enclave such as Banys de la Reina, and the repair and replacement of the existing damaged fence on the rest of the boundaries and on the façade to the Paseo Marítimo.

This first phase has also included the creation of an archaeology and restoration work area with prefabricated modules that has an office, storeroom and bathroom.

In addition, updated graphic documentation has been produced with the use of new technologies linked to archaeological documentation.

‘These works will allow, for the first time, that Banys de la Reina can be open to the public, as it should be, with all the protection measures, a first step to put in value as it deserves this treasure that we have in Calp’, said the councillor of Culture, Guillermo Sendra.

‘We plan to inaugurate soon this site for which we want to have the presence of the Conselleria de Cultura and the Diputación de Alicante. Banys de la Reina is, without doubt, a tourist attraction of international value, and deserves to be known and admired by all,’ said the mayoress Ana Sala.

The Local Government Board approved in its last session to initiate the corresponding administrative file for the creation of a working team called ‘High Commissioner of Fiestas of Calpe’ in order to address organizational aspects of the local festivities. This commission arises after the last plenary debate about the date of the patron saint's festivity.

This High Commission will be made up of the person in charge of the Department of Festivities and the person who holds the presidency (or a member of the entity to whom he/she delegates) of the following associations and entities:

- Asociación de Moros y Cristianos Santíssim Crist de la Suor

- Patron saint's festival committee for the year in progress at any given time

- La Merced Festivities Committee

- Costaleros de la Mare de Déu del Carme (bearers of the Mare de Déu del Carme)

- Calpe Ifach Musical Union

- Fishermen's Guild

- Bous al carrer (Bulls in the streets)

- AEMCO

The following people will also form part of the Commission: Rafael García Cabrera, linked to the Calpe Holy Week and the patron saint fiestas, Francesc Monjo Dalmau, Calpe historian, Antonia Mª Avargues Pastor, linked to the Moors and Christians fiestas and councillor for fiestas during several terms of office, Josefa Boronat Ivars, municipal fiestas technician, and Esther Asperilla, the Town Council's citizen participation technician, will act as secretary.

The purpose of this commission is to involve all sectors related to the local fiestas in the organisation and decision making of the key aspects of each fiesta.

The Governing Board also agreed to initiate the process for the creation of the special commission of investigation of the Municipal Cemetery to clarify exhumations carried out in the Cemetery without the consent of the direct relatives of the deceased.

This commission was created with the aim of studying all possible cases of illegal exhumation of niches in the municipal cemetery, probably carried out to bury other people's relatives in them. The council has taken this decision after detecting a new case of illegal exhumation, following a complaint from the relatives of a French girl buried in Calpe in the 1970s.

Friday, 25th:

Book presentation: ‘Diània. Terra de Castells’ by Just I. Sellés. There will also be a screening of the audiovisual ‘Terra forta. Paisatges fortificats’. 8 p.m., Saló Blau. Free admission

Exhibition of works participating in the 9th Open Air Painting Competition. From 10 to 31 October in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Photographic exhibition of the Foto Club Ifach on occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Casa de Cultura Jaume Pastor i Fluixà. From 4 to 31 October. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura.

Photographic exhibition on occasion of the Centenary of the CALPE Fishermen's Guild. In Plaza Colón, Plaza Constitución, Plaza Beato Sendra, Plaza Manuel Miró and in the port (next to the Fishermen's Guild).

Saturday, 26th:

Evening entertained by the orchestra La Óxido as a finale to the patron saint's fiestas 2024. Organised by Comisión de Fiestas 2024. From 17 h. Parc de la Creativitat

Performance of the musical comedy ‘Las Nueve y Cuarenta y Tres’ featuring CALPEina Gloria Nieto. 20 h. Auditorium. Free admission

Exhibition of works participating in the IX Outdoor Painting Competition. From 10 to 31 October in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Photographic exhibition of the Foto Club Ifach on occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Casa de Cultura Jaume Pastor i Fluixà. From 4 to 31 October. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura.

Photographic exhibition on occasion of the Centenary of the CALPE Fishermen's Guild. In Plaza Colón, Plaza Constitución, Plaza Beato Sendra, Plaza Manuel Miró and in the port (next to the Fishermen's Guild).

Sunday, 27th:

VII Walk for the World Day against breast cancer organised by the Alicante Association for the fight against cancer - Calpe headquarters.

At 12 noon starting from the Plaza Mayor. At the end there will be a raffle, bar at popular prices and musical performances.

• Photographic exhibition on occasion of the Centenary of the CALPE Fishermen's Guild. In Plaza Colón, Plaza Constitución, Plaza Beato Sendra, Plaza Manuel Miró and in the port (next to the Fishermen's Guild).

Calpe has received the visit of 12 renowned film producers from the United States and Europe, as part of a fam trip, organised in the Comunitat Valenciana Region. The aim of this initiative is to publicise different locations in the municipality to consolidate Calpe as a destination for future filming.

The producers are known for their work in internationally renowned productions such as ‘Peaky Blinders’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, ‘Indiana Jones’, ‘Spiderman’, ‘World War Z’, ‘Thor’, ‘Jason Bourne’, ‘James Bond: Spectre’, ‘Mission Impossible’, ‘Superman VS Batman’, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, ‘Matrix’ and ‘Gladiator’, among others. During their visit to Calpe, they had the opportunity to witness the Desembarco of the Moros y Cristianosfestivities, visit the Red Wall and the facilities of the Casa Nova, as well as the Skybar of the Hotel Suitopia where they were shown the variety of Calpe's landscape.

The producers showed great interest in Calpe's privileged climate and its emblematic buildings, ‘elements that add incalculable value to any audiovisual production’, said the councillor for International Promotion, Marco Bittner.

Calpe is part of the Costa Blanca Film Commission, a film office created by the Diputación de Alicante, which aims to facilitate the work of companies and professionals in the audiovisual sector who wish to shoot in the province and, in turn, promote the different municipalities of Alicante as a destination for filming. In this sense, to position itself as a film destination, Calpe not only promotes its wide variety of locations for all types of productions, but also its hotel capacity, which can accommodate large film crews, as well as its experience in organising large-scale events such as the Desembarco de Moros y Cristianos, and the provision of security and surveillance systems to ensure filming without incident.

‘We are delighted to show these prestigious producers all that Calpe has to offer. Our aim is to provide not only unique locations, but also shooting facilities, quality production services, potential financial support and a willingness to facilitate their work,’ Marco Bittner said.

On this fam trip the producers have also visited other municipalities such as Gandía, Benidorm and Alicante.

The Local Government Board has approved this morning the awarding of the works for the new secondary school and the Gargasindi Special Education School. The Board assumed the contracting powers precisely to speed up the administrative processes with the aim that the works begin as soon as possible and can be executed by the end of 2026.

In the case of the IES Les Salines, the works have been awarded to Vialterra Infraestructuras S.A. for an amount of 14,748,935.36 € and a completion period of 24 months. The architects Pablo Peñín Llobell and Miguel San Juan, drew up the Basic and Execution Project for the New Secondary School in October 2023 and the construction project was approved in plenary session in December 2023.

As for the CEIP Gargasidi, the works have been awarded to Orthem Servicios y Actuaciones Ambientales for an amount of 7,055,799.57 € and a completion period of 15 months. The Basic and Execution Project was drawn up by the architects Miguel Ródenas Mussons, Jesús Olivares Casado and Juan Miguel Ochotorena Elicegui, in October 2023. The works project was approved by plenary agreement in an ordinary session held on 14 November 2023.

In both cases, the successful bidders are required to formalise the contract within 15 days, for which the municipal architect will be responsible. These are two of the most demanded projects at present, which will resolve the situation of overcrowding of the IES and will allow the students of CEIP Gargasindi to return to the municipality. Both projects were at a standstill for months waiting for the Generalitat to authorise the modification of the delegation of powers due to the increase in the budget for both projects, included in the Pla Edificant.

The vote on both points in the Governing Board has been carried out in public and the councillors have started to applaud after the unanimous approval of both awards.

In this regard the mayoress Ana Sala said that ‘we have fought hard, we have advanced the work, finally, we can say that if we do not suffer any contingency and the process goes with absolute normality we will have the second institute and the new school of special education Gargasindi at the end of 2026’.

Friday, 18th:

Moros y Cristianos Festivities:

13 h - Announcement of the start of the fiesta. Ringing of bells and salvos

19 h - Entrance of bands from Plaza Colón to Plaza del Mosquit.

19.30 h - Parade through the town centre of the Moros y Cristianos filaes to the Plaza Mayor.

20 h - Proclamation of the Fiestas and hoisting of the banners in the Plaza Mayor. At the end of the event, offering of candles to the Santíssim Crist de la Suor in the parish church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves.

00.30 h - Entraetes through the old town centre

1.00 h - Dance of the Moorish captain in the Filà Moriscos (carrer de Fora)

Exhibition of works participating in the IX Outdoor Painting Competition. From 10 to 31 October in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Photographic exhibition of the Foto Club Ifach on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Casa de Cultura Jaume Pastor i Fluixà. From 4 to 31 October. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura.

Photographic exhibition on the occasion of the Centenary of the Calpe Fishermen's Guild. In Plaza Colón, Plaza Constitución, Plaza Beato Sendra, Plaza Manuel Miró and in the port (next to the Fishermen's Guild).

Saturday, 19th:

Moros y Cristianos Festivities:

9.30 h - Moros y Cristianos Reveille:starting at Plaza del Mosquit.

18.30 h - Christian and Moorish entrance ‘Parade’ in Gabriel Miró avenue.

1:00 h - Dance of the Association's Standard Bearer in the Filà Almogávares (Almogávares lineage)

Exhibition of works participating in the IX Outdoor Painting Competition. From 10 to 31 October in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Photographic exhibition of the Foto Club Ifach on the 25th anniversary of the Casa de Cultura Jaume Pastor i Fluixà. From 4 to 31 October. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura.

Photographic exhibition on occasion of the Centenary of the Calpe Fishermen's Guild. In Plaza Colón, Plaza Constitución, Plaza Beato Sendra, Plaza Manuel Miró and in the port (next to the Fishermen's Guild).

Sunday, 20th:

Moros y Cristianos Festivities:

10.45 h - Disembarkation and First Battle on the Arenal-Bol beach.

19 h - Children's parade in Gabriel Miró avenue.

Photographic exhibition on the occasion of the Centenary of the Fishermen's Guild of Calpe. In Plaza Colón, Plaza Constitución, Plaza Beato Sendra, Plaza Manuel Miró and in the port (next to the Fishermen's Guild).

This morning the tender for the works for the adaptation of the plot and provision of services for the provisional installation of prefabricated modules for the new IES Les Salines and CEIP Oltà has been published on the state contracting platform.

The works include demolition, levelling and clearing of the land, earth moving, road construction, paving and asphalting, concrete structures, painting and road signs, planting and maintenance of green areas and street lighting. The tender has a budget of 3,265,378.18 € and a completion period of 4 months.

The Town Council ceded, for a period of five years, a municipal plot of more than 30.000m2 located just behind the Silene de Ifac Nursery School so that the Council can install prefabricated classrooms there for the pupils to de-massify the educational centres.

The development work will be carried out on two plots of land of around 6,900 metres each, which will house classrooms for an infant and primary school and classrooms for the second IES. In addition, access roads with pavements, a parking area and a landscaped green area will be built on a total surface area of 33,600 m2. Drinking water supply and sewage disposal will be provided by the municipal networks.

Once the work has been completed and the classrooms have been installed, the 160 students who started the course in the Casa de Cultura and the new enrolments will move to the new facilities.

Parallel to this process, the tendering process for the definitive works of the second Institute continues, with a base budget of 14,899,419.51€. The architects Pablo Peñín Llobell and Miguel San Juan, drew up the basic and execution project for the new institute in October 2023 and the construction project was approved in December 2023. Last July, the Public Procurement Platform announced the tender for the works contract, and in August the only bid submitted was opened, which is currently being studied. The government team believes that the works could be awarded by the end of 2024 and the works executed by the end of 2026.

The mayoress, Ana Sala, said that ‘we are very satisfied with the pace of the tenders in education, the various departments are making a great effort, for which I am grateful, and before the end of the year we will have everything awarded. This government team has worked very hard so far this year so that the educational emergency situation can be normalised, and we can start to talk about normality in educational infrastructures’.

For her part, the Councillor for Education, Mariola Mulet, declared that ‘our aim is to de-massify the schools and turn the educational situation around 180 degrees because here there has been no investment in education for a long time’.

On Friday, Calpe will begin the programme of events to celebrate the Moors and Christians festivities in honour of the Cristo del Sudor, Patron Saint of the town, organised by the Moors and Christians Association in collaboration with the Town Hall.

On Friday 18th at 13:00 the bells will be rung, and salvos will be fired to announce the start of the festivities. In the evening at 19:00 hours the bands will march through the streets of the town from the Plaza Colón, at 20:00 hours the banners will be hoisted and the opening speech of the fiestas in the Plaza Mayor, which this year will be given by Antonia Avargues.

She is a person closely linked to the world of the “Moros y Cristianos”, founder of the “Moros y Cristianos Association”, standard bearer of the association, councillor of fiestas, for years she has been in charge of the staging of the ‘Miracle’ and she is responsible for the design of the Association's banner.

At the end of the act of hoisting the banners, all the ‘filaes’ and the Commission of Fiestas 2024 will make a parade to the Church to celebrate the Offering of Candles to the Patron Saint. At 00:30 hours the Moors and Christians will gather to begin the typical ‘entraetes’ which will go through the streets of the Old Town and at 01:00 the dance of the Moorish captain of the Filà Moriscos is scheduled to take place in the carrer de Fora.

On Saturday, the 19th, the events will begin at 9:30 am with the reveille from the Plaza del Mosquit. At 6:30 p.m., from Carrer Benissa to Plaça Colón, the Christian and Moorish Grand Entrance will begin, which is the culmination of the work of the ‘filaes’, as it is then that the best finery, floats, dances and other attractions will be on display, making this one of the most attractive parades in the province.

This will be the big moment for the Moorish and Christian Captains of 2024, Kiko Thewinssen Pastor of the Filà Moriscos and Miguel Crespo Pastor of the Filà Contrabandistas, accompanied by the favourite, Andrea Thewinssen Pastor and the First Lady, Fanny Poquet Mut. Another important position is that of Standard Bearer of the Moors and Christians Association, which this year goes to Puri Verdú Balaguer, from Almogávares, and the Christian and Moorish ensigns, Joaquin Pastor Pastor from Mossarabs d'Ifac and Juan Ramón Clares Trabalón from Tuareg. In the evening, at 01:00 hours, the dance of the Association's standard bearer will take place in the Filà Almogávares (Ermita street).

Sunday 20th will be the first big battle between the Moorish and Christian sides, as at 10:45 a.m. the Moorish troops are scheduled to disembark on Arenal beach. This is undoubtedly one of the most attractive events of the fiesta. In the afternoon, the children will be the stars of the children's parade, which will start at 19:00 hours from Benissa street.

On Monday, 21st October, at 20:30, the Moors and Christians will engage in the second battle and the ‘miracle’ will be held in the Plaza Mayor, one of the most significant events of the Calpe fiestas, representing the moment when ‘Caragol’ manages to close the gates of the town after the betrayal of ‘Moncofar’. In the evening, the Christian Captain's Ball will be performed by the ‘Filà Contrabandistas’.

On Tuesday 22nd, feast of the Patron Saint, the Santísimo Cristo del Sudor, the Solemn Campaign Mass in honour of the Patron Saint will be celebrated at 12 noon in the Plaza Mayor. After the mass, a spectacular ‘mascletá’ will be fired and the image of Christ will be taken back to the church.

In the evening, at 8 p.m. a solemn procession will be held through the streets of the old town and at the end a night-time mascletà will be fired in the Plaza Mayor. The events will conclude with a mass for the dead which will be celebrated on Tuesday 23rd October at 19:30 in the Virgen de las Nieves Parish Church.

Calpe Town Council will create an investigation commission to study possible cases of illegal exhumation of niches in the municipal cemetery, probably carried out to bury other people's relatives in them. The council has taken this decision after detecting a new case of illegal exhumation following a complaint from the relatives of a French girl buried in Calpe, who on a recent visit to the Calpe cemetery discovered that the niche was occupied by another person.

The girl was buried in Calpe in 1973, and the ownership of the niche was in perpetuity, i.e. for 99 years. The new burial in that niche took place in 2015.

The mayoress of Calpe, Ana Sala, and the councillor of the Eternal Rest Park, Marco Bittner, have met with the relatives and have conveyed their firm decision to investigate what happened.

‘Given the background that exists on this issue we are very concerned that there are more cases and therefore we will create an internal commission of enquiry in order to reach the ultimate consequences,’ said the mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala.

This week saw the end of the latest Bono Comercio campaign organised through AEMCO and the Economic Promotion Council of Calpe, with the aim of continuing to encourage shopping in local shops. The campaign, financed entirely by the Town Hall, has distributed a total of 8,135 vouchers worth 540,830 €.

Individuals over the age of 18 (as of 1 June 2024), registered in the municipality, could benefit from this campaign. They were able to purchase consumer vouchers through a platform - bonocomerciocalp.es - worth €20, €50, €100 and €150 each, which were redeemed in the establishments participating in the campaign. In this edition, the maximum nominal value of the voucher has been increased for the first time to €150 (previously the maximum value of the voucher was €100).

The vouchers are 50% subsidised so that consumers double the value of their purchase. Each citizen could apply for a maximum of €150 in vouchers and each voucher could be redeemed on a single purchase equal to or greater than the value of the voucher. SMEs, small self-employed entrepreneurs or professionals with less than 50 workers have participated in this campaign.

The City Council is planning to organise a new Bono Comercio campaign in the near future, which could be worth up to €460,000. And before the end of the year, the Bono Consumo campaign, financed by the Diputación Provincial, is planned, which will include other economic sectors such as hotels, gyms, beauty centres, etc.

The final list of grants for the payment of property tax (IBI), aimed at retired people, pensioners under the age of 65 and the long-term unemployed, has been published on the municipal website. This year 62 people will benefit from these aids, which represent a total investment of 18.154,44 €.

The Calpe Town Hall offers this aid with the aim of subsidising the IBI of the habitual residence of the year prior to the call in order not to aggravate the living conditions of people who suffer a disadvantaged economic situation.

The aid consists of a rebate of up to 400 euros and up to 85% of the amount of the IBI. The amount can be increased by 10% in the case of people with disabilities or members of the family unit who are disabled and can prove a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33% or who are victims of gender violence or are part of a single-parent family.

To be eligible for this aid, people must have paid the IBI of their habitual residence located in Calpe, whether it is owned or rented. In addition, they must be over 65 years of age or under 65 years of age who are Social Security pensioners. Also eligible are people who have been long-term unemployed during the last year, which is to say, those registered as job seekers in the Labora centres.

In addition, applicants must be registered in the dwelling that generates the payment of the IBI, the applicant must be the owner of a single dwelling in Calpe and this is their habitual residence, not enjoy IBI bonuses for large families and be up to date with their obligations with the Tax Agency and the Social Security.