CalpeNoticias EN

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.

Friday, 11th:

-20:15 hours. Book presentation Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos in the Plaza Mayor.

-21:00. Musical groups Festival: UM Calp-Ifach, UM Primitiva de Castell de Castells and SM L'Illa de Benidorm in the Plaza Mayor.

-22:30 hours. Pep de La Tona, JazzWoman and DJ Serra concert in the main square.

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

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 Fishermen's Guild of Calp. In Plaza Colón, Plaza Constitución, Plaza Beato Sendra, Plaza Manuel Miró and in the port (next to the Fishermen's Guild).

Saturday, 12th:

Finals matches of the Valencian Basketball League organised by the Valencian Basketball Federation in the Domingo Crespo Pavilion.

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 Fishermen's Guild of Calp. In Plaza Colón, Plaza Constitución, Plaza Beato Sendra, Plaza Manuel Miró and in the port (next to the Fishermen's Guild).

Sunday, 13th:

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

The plenary session of Calpe Town Council has initially approved the modification of several articles of the municipal traffic ordinance with time-limited parking regulations. The modification has a double objective: to adapt the ordinance to the current road safety regulations and to adapt the regulation to the new conditions and needs for the future tendering of the time-limited parking service contract.

Among the modifications introduced is the elimination of the so-called green zone (an administrative zone that was only payable in the morning), which will become a blue zone. This change is in response to a request from the Calpe Business Association itself, which asked for several streets in the green zone to be changed to blue to boost the commercial dynamism of certain areas of the municipality.

On the other hand, the extension and timetable of the orange zone (beach zone with effect only in summer) has been extended to a maximum of six hours and its duration has been extended from July and August to June to September.

The new ordinance enables the use of the app as a method of verifying payment and changes the effective date of residents ‘and traders’ cards to an annual period.

In addition, motorbikes and electric vehicles are no longer exempt from paying for the regulated parking service. The City Council establishes the possibility that in the new contract for the management of the public service, those who have the status of Resident or Trader and whose vehicle has the DGT's ‘zero emissions’ environmental badge will receive a discount, and it is expected that in the future contract the price of the service will be reduced for residents.

Other modifications to the ordinance relating to road safety refer to the speed of vehicles circulating in the town centre, prohibited parking places, the prohibition of parking on public roads for buses, the possibility of setting up parking areas for the exclusive use of pharmacies' emergency services, and areas for ambulances from private clinics and loading and unloading operations.

Another modification refers to the express prohibition of parking when the City Council has signalled its prohibition in this space 48 hours before. Until now, non-compliance with this prohibition did not entail the removal of the vehicle or a fine.

INCREASE IN THE WASTE TAX

The plenary session also approved the modification of the ordinance regulating the household waste collection charge. The updating of the waste tax is carried out in accordance with the new state law on waste - in application of a European directive - which requires that waste management in each town hall must not be loss-making, i.e., that the town halls must collect 100% of the cost of the service with the waste tax.

For the modification of the ordinance, an economic-financial study was carried out to analyse the costs of the service and set the fee considering criteria of economic capacity and waste generation. The distribution of the charge has been carried out by creating nine zones (based on the cadastral valuation)

.

In her speech, the mayoress, Ana Sala, stressed that ‘all the variables have been tried to ensure that the impact of this increase is as small as possible, we do not want to increase waste, but we are obliged to do so by European regulations. In any case, it is a provisional approval that will be in force for a year as we will work to create a new, better, more adjusted rate in which those who recycle the most pay less and those who pollute the most are penalised’.

The spokesman for Defendamos Calpe, Paco Quiles, said that ‘Europe is not asking us to raise the price, it says that those who generate more waste should pay more, you have not worked on this proposal. The method chosen is unfair because they focus on the economic capacity of the area where we live, but they forget about the generation of waste, they miss the objective of the law’.

Miguel Crespo, PP spokesman criticised the waste collection service ‘the way forward is to achieve a more efficient and economic service, it is a short cut by a government without ideas. We miss bonuses and the participation of the residents. This tax is not well worked out, it does not encourage recycling but punishes families. It is not possible to spend so much money on festivals, lights and concerts and then raise the tax in some areas almost double. It is a pure and simple tax increase that will bring in 2 million in revenue by 2025’.

The PSOE spokesman, Guillermo Sendra, said that ‘we know it is an unpopular measure, but to take political advantage of the government team for it is incredible, what are they doing in Benissa, Teulada, Elche or Alicante where the PP governs, all these towns are increasing the tax, some of them quadrupling or tripling it’.

The Compromís councillor and government spokesman, Ximo Perles, also declared that ‘this tax has nothing to do with the service contract, let's not forget that the waste contract is the result of the management of the popular party, we voted against it. The zoning is carried out by SUMA to apply different criteria, the average cadastral value and the number of people registered in each house’.

The councillor of Defendamos Calpe Juan Manuel del Pino said, ‘people should know that we pay almost two million euros to the Mare Consortium for the recycling plant in Campello, let's be aware that recycling is expensive, but there are costs that have to be assumed’.

STUDENT TRANSPORT SUBSIDY BASES

Today's plenary session also approved the rules governing the granting of aid for the transport of students studying outside Calpe. These rules have had to be modified after receiving a report from the Conselleria that indicated the duplication with the aid already granted by the Generalitat to high school students outside the municipality of origin.

Thus, it has been established that students studying intermediate and higher vocational training, professional and higher artistic education, university studies, master's and doctorate degrees and distance university education in centres outside the municipality will be able to benefit from this aid.

It is expected to be able to call and resolve the granting of these aids before the end of the year. The grants have a budget of €150,000.

Calpe will celebrate the 9th of October,

Valencian Community Day, tomorrow with a special programme to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Jaume Pastor i Fluixà Award.

In the morning, the Old Town will host various events such as different ‘Carretons’ outings, simultaneous street performances, traditional games and children's workshops, the inauguration of the sculpture ‘Ensoñación’ by Maggie Poulariani and the preparation of a giant paella in the Plaza del Mosquit.

In the evening at 19:15 there will be an itinerant performance by Masters Ballet accompanied by the Colla de Xirimiters del Carellot with a route from Plaça Colón to Plaça Mayor where, at the end of the performance, the institutional act of the XXX Jaume Pastor i Fluixà -9 d' Octubre Award and Medals of the Town will be held.

The Jaume Pastor i Fluixà - 9 d'Octubre Prize is awarded this year to the Fundació Comunitat Valenciana MARQ and Marq Museo Arqueológico Alicante for their contribution to the recovery and conservation of the archaeological sites of Banys de la Reina and the medieval Pobla d'Ifac.

In addition, several entities and personalities of the municipality will be recognised in their different modalities:

- Citizen Merit: Juan Santos who has been Justice of the Peace until last May after a career of more than 25 years in the Justice of the Peace, first as a substitute judge and since 2011 as a full judge.

- Tourism merit: Jaume Masó: He has been working in the tourism sector for more than 50 years, more than 20 years as commercial director of the Unitursa group, a position from which he has contributed to the opening of new tourist markets for Calpe and consequently to the growth of tourism in the town. He is a reference in the promotion of tourism in Calpe.

- Sporting merit: Jozef Metelka. Slovak cyclist who trains and lives in Calpe for long periods of the year, winner of three medals at the Paralympic Games in Rio, another three in Tokyo and a gold medal at the Paris Games. He is also 15 times world champion.

- Business merit: Pepa Pérez. She is a reference in the world of aesthetics and beauty in Calpe. She opened the first beauty salon in Calpe in 1968 and years later opened Pepa Pérez Esthétic Center in its current location in Plaza Constitución. Brides, festival girls, ladies, Moors and Christians, generations of Calpe inhabitants have passed through her salon. Her professionalism, her work ethic and her search for excellence make her worthy of this recognition.

- Cultural Merit: Marga López. A native teacher from Novelda, she arrived in Calpe as a teacher at the Azorín School in 1983. After a few years teaching in the infant stage, she became a teacher of the second stage, being the Valencian teacher for all the pupils in this stage as she was the only teacher with a degree in Valencian. She was the founder of the association Natura Serpis in the early 1980s. She retired in 2011 after teaching generations of Calpe citizens.

- Premi Jove: Silke Ribes. Currently a student at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid, she has trained with outstanding teachers and in 2020 received the scholarship of the Curtis Summerfest in Philadelphia, a training programme offered by this high-performance institute, considered the best conservatory in the USA, as well as having won numerous awards despite her youth.

- Corbata de la Vila: Cofradía Virgen de los Dolores. In the 1990s, a tradition was established whereby the 18 year olds of the current year's Festivities Commission carried the image of Our Lady of Sorrows in the Good Friday procession. This is a recent custom but full of meaning as all the boys and girls of the Festivities Commission are involved in weeks of rehearsals in order to carry the image of the Dolorosa. In addition, the work of the women in charge of dressing the Virgin throughout history is also recognised.

These awards recognise the work of individuals, groups and institutions that have worked for the municipality from different fields and bear the name of the late Calpe historian Jaume Pastor i Fluixà. The event will begin with the reading of an institutional manifesto.

The local government will bring the modification of the ordinance regulating the rate for household waste collection to tomorrow's plenary session after withdrawing it from last September's plenary session when an arithmetical and material error was detected in the calculation of the rate.

The updating of the waste tax is carried out in accordance with the new state law on waste - in application of a European directive - which requires that waste management in each town council must not be loss-making, i.e. that the town councils must collect 100% of the cost of the service through the waste tax.

For the modification of the ordinance, an economic-financial study was carried out to analyse the costs of the service and set the fee taking into account criteria of economic capacity and waste generation. The distribution of the fee has been carried out by creating nine zones (based on the cadastral valuation).

The tax rate in each of the zones is as follows:

Zone 1-Pou Roig: 162,03€.

Zone 2-Diseminados: 223,98€.

Zone 3-Casco/Ensanche: 223,06€.

Zone 4-Mascarat: 171,84€.

Zone 5-Urbanisations: 235,15€.

Zone 6-Manzanera 257,14€.

Zone 7-Coastal Port: 176,85€.

Zone 8-Coastal: 177,17€.

Zone 9-Salinas 185,33€.

All commercial or industrial premises are exempt from the tax and a 95% discount is established for the family unit whose components, declarer and spouse, are pensioners or retired people, the discount must be requested with the corresponding accreditation.

The Mayoress of Calp, Ana Sala, has sent a letter to the residents in which she explains that the Law 7/2022 of 8 April on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy, obliges all member states of the European Union to improve waste management and to legislate so that those who pollute the most pay the most, so that the tax collected by the municipalities for the collection and treatment of solid urban waste is not in deficit.

Sala states in the letter that ‘We local councils are obliged to modify our by-laws in order to balance the fee collected and bring it into line with the real cost of the service. This council, like the rest of the councils in Spain, is obliged to update the rate, which can only be upwards, given the current collection deficit that we currently have for this concept due to the consequent increase in costs, which amounts to more than two and a half million euros.

In the last four years the tax burden on the people of Calpe has been maintained and even reduced. In 2019 the IBI was reduced by 5%, in 2022, the capital gains tax for inheritances was reduced to 95%, since 2021 the council does not charge tax for opening businesses and activities, nor for transfers or transfers of activities, thus facilitating the establishment of freelancers and companies.

We are committed, every year, to increase the amount allocated to subsidies, reaching a total amount of 600,000 euros in the 2024 budget. This is the philosophy of this government team, to do more with less, but at this time and, with regard to the waste tax, we have no alternative but to approve this provisional modification of the ordinance that makes the tax more expensive, being aware of what it means for everyone.

We have worked on the criteria and parameters so that the impact on the pockets of our citizens is as minimal as possible, assuming the commitment, once the provisional modification has been approved in order to comply with the law, to study it in depth so that the definitive ordinance is as fair as possible, taking into account the effort in the management and treatment of each waste product, giving bonuses and rewarding those who pollute less and therefore pay less’.

Calpe Town Council, through the Tourism Planning Department, plans to carry out advertising campaigns to promote itself as an inclusive tourist destination as well as talks and training courses to raise awareness among local tourism companies and citizens of the importance of the town being an accessible tourist destination adapted to people with all types of functional diversity.

For this reason, Calpe Town Council has now put these services out to tender with a base budget of 30,000 euros. This is the second tender to be launched as part of a wider project to consolidate inclusive tourism as part of the Tourism Sustainability Plan for Destinations (PSTD) which has the support of the Valencian Regional Ministry of Tourism - Turisme Comunitat Valenciana - and the Secretary of State for Tourism within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) financed by the European Union - Next Generation.

The aim of this contract is, on the one hand, to launch dissemination campaigns in both general and tourist online and offline media, as well as on municipal social networks in order to publicise the town as an accessible holiday destination. These campaigns will also be carried out in outdoor media such as mupis or by means of signage on means of transport, among others.

 They will be carried out in Calpe's main tourist issuing markets both nationally and internationally. This is the case of the Valencian Community and the autonomous communities of Madrid, Castilla La Mancha, Castilla y León, Aragón, Navarra, La Rioja and the Basque Country. And abroad, France, Germany, Benelux and Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland), countries that also have low-cost connections with Alicante and Valencia airports. Tour operators and travel agents from the international tourism sector with a major presence on the Costa Blanca will also be the target audience for this campaign.

On the other hand, training activities will be carried out among local tourism companies and agents to develop adapted tourism products and services and thus position Calpe as an inclusive tourist destination for everyone. Awareness-raising campaigns aimed at citizens will also be carried out to raise awareness of the accessibility offered by Calpe, the need to respect parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities or activities such as ‘roll-play’ in the street through which citizens must perform everyday activities through the prism of a person with accessibility needs, among others.

Through the project for the consolidation of inclusive tourism included in the Tourism Sustainability Plan for Destinations, Calpe Town Council has already put out to tender the acquisition of adapted vehicles and equipment in order to allow people with some kind of functional diversity to improve their experience when visiting the municipality. And within this same project, the installation of a lift in the Museu de la Senyoreta, among other actions, is planned for the near future.

‘We want Calpe to be an inclusive municipality and that its resources, therefore, are available to all people, without exception; through this new contract we want to make known to tourists and visitors that Calpe is open to receive all people as well as to continue training our businessmen about the need to continue betting on inclusive tourism and to the citizens, the importance of becoming a municipality without barriers’, said the Councillor for Tourism Planning, Mireia Ripoll.

The Department of Tourism has attended this week the IV TURESPAÑA Convention convened in this edition under the slogan ‘Everything changes again: emerging technologies for a new tourism model’. The Turespaña Convention, held this year in Tenerife, is an annual event conceived as a space for the public and private tourism sector to meet, to exchange information and best practices and to reflect together on the development of tourism in Spain, its destinations and companies.

Calpe's tourism team took the opportunity to discuss the latest developments and trends in the sector and also held working meetings with tourism councils abroad.

In addition to outlining different collaborations with those responsible for the promotion of Spain as a tourist destination in the world, the design of the calendar of fairs for 2025 and the annual operational plan within the marketing strategy has begun.

The heads of the department took advantage of the networking event to improve coordination with both the Costa Blanca Tourist Board and the Generalitat de Catalunya's Tourism Board. In this sense, it is planned to reinforce promotional activities in Germany and Belgium, maintain the presence in strategic fairs with more prominence of Calpe, as well as an expansion into new emerging markets.

Calpe is currently focusing on a commitment to de-seasonalisation and sustainable tourism. In this sense, the councillor for tourism promotion, Marco Bittner, pointed out that ‘we have taken the opportunity to announce the new features for the coming season; the imminent opening of the Baños de la Reina archaeological site has become a differentiating factor as a cultural destination. Likewise, Calpe is already consolidating CalpePride as its own brand within the LGTBI offer of the Valencian Community. On the other hand, tourist attractions such as the architectural uniqueness of the Red Wall or the fact of being the municipality with the most Michelin stars per square metre in Spain are well received’.

Just as last year the Convention dealt with an incipient current of tourism-phobia, this year the Mayor of Barcelona addressed important issues such as tourist housing and the lack of permanent housing. This is an issue of concern to the sector and is being addressed with public and private solutions. There was also debate on the tourist tax, EC air legislation and, above all, the impact of digitalisation in tackling the sector's problems.

Several panels highlighted the strategic and cross-cutting importance that tourism offers; this season's data in Calpe (breaking the 90% barrier) confirms this. The Calpe team came out reinforced in that the strategic plan of Calpe follows the Department is in harmony with the trends exposed in this convention.

This convention has been a valuable opportunity for Calpe to reaffirm its position as a first-class tourist destination, committed to innovation, sustainability and quality in its tourist offer.