CalpeNoticias EN

The Calpe government team will withdraw the point relating to the modification of the tax ordinance regulating the rate for household rubbish collection at the ordinary plenary session to be held tomorrow, Tuesday 10 September. This decision comes after detecting an error in the calculation of the fee.

‘We are going to withdraw the proposal from the agenda as it is null and void as there has been an arithmetical and material error in the calculation of the rate,’ said Mayoress Ana Sala.

The updating of the rubbish tax was to be carried out in accordance with the new state law on waste - in application of a European directive - and 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 through the rubbish tax. A study phase will now start again to determine the new rate update.

Around 160 students have started the school year in the second Secondary School of Calpe, provisionally located in the Casa de Cultura. This is the start of this second centre, which has been so long awaited until its facilities are built in the Gargasindi area.

It has a total of nine groups: five of 1st ESO, two of 2nd ESO, one of 3rd ESO and one of 4th ESO. For this purpose, 11 classrooms have been set aside in the Casa de Cultura as well as two offices (one for the management team and the other for the guidance counsellor), in addition to two storage rooms. And this new centre will be staffed by 26 teachers as well as an English conversation assistant.

The second school already has all the necessary furniture and all that remains to be done is the installation of the fencing at the entrance, an aspect that is in the process of being managed. In the meantime, a registration system has been implemented which will allow the control of the entrance and exit of the students, guaranteeing security and order in the access to the centre. The City Council has also installed Wi-Fi connection in these premises, which has meant an investment of 4,000 euros.

For the first time in recent years, the opening of this second secondary school means that the Baccalaureate courses will once again be taught in the morning at IES Ifac, which started classes today with a total of 1,129 students, 950 of whom will attend the school in the mornings. In the afternoons, this centre offers Vocational Training courses - 1st and 2nd of Gardening and Floristry in both basic and intermediate levels, 1st and 2nd of Administrative Services in the three levels of basic, intermediate and higher and for the first time this year 1st of the basic level and 1st of the intermediate level of Computer Science.

This year, IES Ifac celebrates its 25th anniversary and for this reason, the City Council plans to organise a series of activities and events throughout the year, in collaboration with the centre, to celebrate this achievement and recognise the trajectory of this centre.

On the other hand, the rest of the schools have also started the school year: the Silene de Ifac nursery school, the Azorín, Gabriel Miró, Oltà and Mediterrani primary schools, as well as the Gargasindi Special Education Centre. The Town Council has carried out a number of improvements to these infrastructures: new toilets in the Oltà nursery school and repairs to the porch of the Gabriel Miró school.

The Family Respite Unit ‘La Casa Roja’ in Calpe currently serves 16 people with some form of cognitive impairment. This centre, which was inaugurated in May 2023 in the Casa Roja, hardly had any users a year ago due to the lack of knowledge about the existence of this new service as well as the lack of transport to this municipally owned building, located in the Cocó district.

However, the information offered by the Department of Social Services, which manages the registration in this centre, and above all, the implementation of a free municipal transport service, has meant that nowadays these facilities have a full capacity. Although its maximum capacity is 15 people, 16 are enrolled, as not all of them attend every day - it has a daily influx of 10 to 12 people -.

The ‘La Casa Roja’ family respite unit in Calpe is a municipal service offering its users a programme of activities to promote their physical and cognitive stimulation as well as to encourage their socialisation. In addition, it also provides a support service to the families of the sick and prepares them for the changes they will have to face as a result of the progressive deterioration of these illnesses. The centre is also a respite for these families, who will have more time to rest.

The programme offered runs for three hours every day from Monday to Friday, the only centre in the Valencia Region with such a wide range of services - this type of service is usually provided in day centres and residences for a maximum of one hour a day. And it is attended by three professionals specialised in the treatment of this type of illness: a psychologist, a speech therapist and a direct assistance person.

“Users enjoy personalised attention that not only improves their quality of life, but also offers an indispensable respite to their families, who rely on the centre for the daily care of their loved ones’, said the councillor for Social Welfare, Itziar Doval, and stressed the importance of continuing to develop and improve this type of resource, “with the aim of guaranteeing quality care and constant support for the families who need it most”.

Friday, 6th:

• From 18 to 1 p.m - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
• 19 h - Workshop on Forest Fire Prevention. Sierra de Oltà Recreation Area. Pre-registration https://forms.gle/Z33XmrMhjiMRgDsW6. More information: info@ecosilvo.es.
• 7.30 p.m. - Opening of the exhibition ‘Coast’ by Erin de Burka. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 30 September.
• 8.00 p.m - Singer-songwriter Andreu Valor presents ‘A mamar, tots els versos’, a tribute to the poet Vicent Andrés Estellés on the centenary of his birth. Auditorium. Free admission.
• Exhibition ‘Augmented Reality’ by Pedro Santos. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell. Until 30th September.
• Photographic exhibition on occasion of the Centenary of the Calpee 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, 7th:

• From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Exhibition ‘Coast’ by Erin de Burka. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 30th September.
• From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
• 19 h - Theatre: ‘Parchís’ by Tomás Verdú. Auditorium. Free admission. For over 16 years old.
• 19.30 h - Guided tours of the Old Town. Compulsory registration at the tourist offices: 96 583 69 20 / 96 583 85 32 / turismo@ajcalpe.es). In Spanish.
• Exhibition ‘Augmented Reality’ by Pedro Santos. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell. Until 30 September.
• Photographic exhibition on occasion of the Centenary of the Cofradía de Pescadores de Calpe (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, 8th:

• From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Yellow humour. Activities for children aged 10 and over in teams of four: sweeper, bubble football, climbing wall, gladiator... Prizes and much more. Parc de la Creativitat.
• After the 12 noon mass - Proclamation of the Merced festivities by Juan Carlos Ferri. Nuestra Señora de la Merced Parish Church.
• From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).

• Photographic exhibition on occasion of the Centenary of the Calpee 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 mayoress of Calpe, Ana Sala, together with the councillor for Town Planning, Juan Manuel del Pino and other members of the corporation, have visited the works of section 6 of road J, accompanied by the technical managers of the project, the project manager of the company PROCON and representatives of the construction company.

Section 6 of road J is the last segment to be executed of a project that originated in the 1989 General Plan and which will be one of the key initiatives of this term of office.

With this work, this road, which has been consolidated in phases, will come to an end. It will connect with sections 1-5 (which start at the Avenida de la Generalitat roundabout and end at the existing roundabout on Avenida Casanova through the Gargasindi area) and will connect Avenida Casa Nova with Avenida País Valencià and Avenida Rumania, making this section decisive in moving traffic from the beach area to the main road without having to go through Avenida Ejércitos Españoles and Avenida Diputación. This road, which, according to a plenary agreement, will be renamed Avenida Felipe VI, will relieve traffic congestion in the town centre.

This work, with a layout of more than 500 metres in length and a continuous width of 20 metres, includes all the necessary infrastructures, such as sewage networks, drinking water supply, street lighting, communications and sustainable urban drainage systems. In addition, the development of the road includes wide pavements, lanes for each direction of traffic and an inner median, with a tree-lined tree surround to improve the aesthetics and sustainability of the environment.

Mayoress Ana Sala stressed the importance of these works: ‘This will be the legislature of the roads and schools. We pledged to improve the road infrastructure of the municipality to facilitate access to urbanisations and decongest traffic, as well as to improve the educational situation, and we are fulfilling our commitment. The town is growing and is forcing us to adapt our infrastructures to the needs of the residents’.

The work on section VI of Avenida Felipe VI is not the only road project of this term of office. The Town Council also plans to upgrade the Puerto Blanco road (road T) and the Ràfol-Empedrola road (road E), works that residents have been waiting for many years. These actions seek not only to improve connectivity and access to different urbanisations, but also to decongest key traffic points in the town, making Calpe a more accessible place for its residents and visitors.

Juan Manuel del Pino, Town Planning Councillor, said: ‘These projects are a priority for us. We are putting all our efforts into making the roads operational as soon as possible to improve the quality of life of our citizens. We are satisfied with the pace of the works and with the commitment of the companies involved’.

The works on the Felipe VI road, which began in May 2024, have already completed the preliminary phases and are currently finalising the earthworks and wall construction. In the coming weeks, work will begin on the channelling of networks, drainage and general services. Although these actions will imply temporary restrictions of access to the road, the provision of services in the area will be guaranteed. The project is expected to be fully completed by May 2025, meeting the established deadlines.

The Governing Board agreed last Friday to request the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture, Universities and Employment to open a professional Music Conservatory and a professional Dance Conservatory in the municipality of Calpe.

To this end, the Town Council is making available to the Regional Ministry the facilities of the Casa Nova, which meets the requirements of multi-purpose classrooms that can be adapted to the needs of this type of centre. Thus, if the Regional Ministry authorises the creation of both Conservatories and provides them with teaching staff, Calpe could have an official Music and Dance Conservatory for the first time.

The Governing Board also agreed to ask the Regional Ministry for the Environment, Water, Infrastructures and Territory to convene the Governing Board of the Penyal de Ifach Natural Park to discuss the different needs of the municipality. The Governing Board, the park's management body, has not met for more than a year and is the body that debates and decides on issues relating to the operation and maintenance of the natural park.

Among the needs to be discussed at the Governing Board is to allow the installation of the information signage of Pobla de Ifach and the Park itself, which is currently in a state of disrepair. Another of the issues to be discussed by the Board is the authorisation for the MARQ to create a museum/interpretation centre of the Pobla de Ifach, in the building located within the Park itself. The idea is to set up the former Casa de Ilustres as a museum to house the remains of the Pobla de Ifach archaeological sites.

Finally, the Governing Board must also address the improvement of the treatment of the natural environment.

Calpe Town Council, through the Tourism and IT departments, has installed a digital kiosk in the tourist office in the salt flats, which will allow tourists to give their opinions on the tourist services received and thus find out their level of satisfaction.

This is an innovative pilot project in the evaluation of tourist services, within the framework of the Intelligent Tourist Destination. In this way, the data collected will make it possible to identify areas for improvement in customer service and to implement the necessary changes.

The kiosk will allow visitors to provide immediate feedback on their experience with the tourist services received. Intuitive touch interfaces and up-to-date software will be used for a smooth and efficient user experience and advanced analysis tools will be implemented in order to process the collected information immediately. Surveys conducted through the kiosk will be anonymous, thus ensuring user privacy and encouraging honest responses.

The kiosk used in this project comes from another department, so it has been given a second life promoting the circular economy in line with the sustainability objectives of the municipality. It is also optimised for efficient energy consumption to reduce the carbon footprint of the project.

After the pilot phase, and depending on the results obtained, it is planned to extend the number of these evaluation kiosks to other tourist facilities of Calpe Town Council. This expansion aims to create a comprehensive network of feedback points covering all aspects of the visitor experience in the municipality.

‘This initiative represents an important step in the transformation of Calpe into a Smart Tourism Destination, demonstrating the Town Council's commitment to service excellence, adapting to the changing needs of visitors in the digital age, and promoting sustainable practices and circular economy’, said the Councillor for Tourism Planning Mireia Ripoll.

Friday, 30th:

• From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. - Photography exhibition ‘Exogenesis’ by Aitor del Arco. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 30th August.
• From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
• Guided tours of the Old Town. Compulsory registration at the tourist offices: 96 583 69 20 / 96 583 85 32 / turismo@ajcalpe.es):

19.30 h - in English

20 h - in Spanish

• Exhibition ‘From the sea and other encounters’ by María Pérez Herrero. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell. Until 31 August.
• 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, 31st:

• From 18 to 1 h - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
• 20 h - The dance company ‘Cuore’ presents the show ‘Tango eterno’. Auditorium. Free admission.
• 20 h - ‘Goodbye summer’. The Filà Almogávares #Calpe is organising this event to bid farewell to summer. With bar service and food at popular prices. And with Xaranga La Motora and DJ Joan Varela. Plaza Mayor.
• Exhibition ‘From the sea and other encounters’ by María Pérez Herrero. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell. Until 31 August.
• 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, 1st:

• From 18 to 1 h – Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).

• 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).

The Calpe Town Hall is currently processing the tender for the extension works of the municipal cemetery with a base budget of 206,042.46 €. The extension of the municipal cemetery will involve the construction of a new level with capacity for 111 additional niches, distributed in four modules.

In addition to the niches, aesthetic and functional improvements will be made, such as the creation of green areas with dry stone walls and the installation of a new irrigation system. The work will begin once the tender process is completed and will last three months,

In view of the growing population and the need to meet the demands of the residents, the Town Council has begun the process of extending the Municipal Cemetery on a plot of land adjacent to the newest part of the Municipal Cemetery.

This measure was taken after an exhaustive analysis of the current situation and with the aim of guaranteeing the provision of an essential service for all citizens. The extension will increase the number of niches available, thus ensuring that all residents will have access to a dignified place for the eternal rest of their loved ones.

Marco Bittner, the Councillor responsible for the Eternal Rest Park has highlighted the importance of this initiative and underlined that ‘the extension of the municipal cemetery is a necessary measure to guarantee the wellbeing of our neighbours and ensure that they can say goodbye to their loved ones in a suitable environment’.

The work carried out at Pobla d'Ifac this summer as part of the 19th MARQ Excavation Campaign has brought to light an early 14th century shed used for storage or different functions outside the walls of the medieval city.

The Culture councillor, Juan de Dios Navarro, visited the archaeological site this morning, located on the slopes of the Peñón de Ifach Natural Park, to see first-hand the details of this five-week campaign.

Accompanied by the Environment of Calpe Environment councilor, Juan Manuel del Pino, and by the director of the MARQ and coordinator of the Campaign, Manuel Olcina, the provincial official toured the enclave where a team of professionals has been working for four weeks under the direction of José Luis Menéndez, a specialist in medieval archaeology and exhibition technician at the Alicante museum.

‘For the Provincial Council it is a great satisfaction to support this campaign to recover and promote part of the rich cultural heritage that we treasure in the province, in this case through a project in which more than one million euros has already been invested over nearly two decades of collaboration with the Calpe town council,’ said the deputy. For his part, del Pino thanked the efforts made by the provincial institution through the MARQ, whose team is already working on the site's master plan.

As part of the MARQ's Archaeological Excavations and Research Plan, which has a total budget of 114,000 euros, the work being carried out in Calpe this year has received 23,000 euros. The work has focused on the area around the West Gate, a secondary access to the interior of the city, and has determined that Building XIV - uncovered in previous campaigns - was a shed used for storage or to carry out different functions outside the city walls.

As Olcina explained, ‘the shed is more than thirteen metres long, open on both sides and covered with a wooden roof and tiles’. It was built at the beginning of the 14th century and in the middle of the century the building was abandoned in order to erect a covered gateway to secure the passage to the West Gate.

The archaeological work has also focused on documenting the first phase of occupation of this space, as well as the interior of the city, once the threshold of the West Gate is crossed. The MARQ continues to research this important enclave, which has become a reference in Valencian medieval archaeology.

The MARQ has recently been awarded the Premi 9 d'Octubre Award by Calpe Town Council for its scientific contributions and for working on the conservation of the Pobla d'Ifac and the Roman vicus of Baños de la Reina.

The lifeguard service at Calpe's beaches, provided by the company Eulen, carried out a rescue drill this morning on Arenal beach. This consisted of the rescue of a swimmer some 200 metres from the beach. The swimmer was assisted by a lifeguard who was on the beach and by a company boat which took him to the shore.

The rescued bather was simulating an arrest, so once on the beach, cardiopulmonary resuscitation manoeuvres were carried out and a defibrillator was applied. Once he recovered his pulse and was stabilised, he was taken by the company ambulance to the hospital in Dénia.

A skipper, four lifeguards, the person in charge of the post, the coordinator and emergency health technicians, as well as two agents of the Local Police and Civil Protection took part in the device.

The aim of this type of practice is to control the rescue times and the coordination between the different lifeguards to guarantee an optimum service. Moreover, this type of drills, which are carried out annually, are requirements for the awarding of the Blue Flag distinction. Numerous tourists followed the drill and at the end applauded the professionalism of the lifeguards.

The councillor for beaches, Pere Moll, the councillor for Tourism Planning, Mireia Ripoll, and technicians from the Beaches Department attended the drill and verified ‘in situ’ compliance with the protocol and times.

The municipal Territory Department  has carried out a study on the evolution of tourist housing in Calpe in recent years, analysing the applications to convert residential dwellings for tourist use since 2017 with data from the Town Hall's own records manager and those of Tourism Valencian Community.

The data shows an exponential growth since 2017 except for 2020 and 2021 presumably due to the effects of the pandemic. In 2017, 441 tourist housing certificates were requested compared to the 985 requested in 2024 up to the current month. In other words, the City Council has received 985 applications in eight months to give a tourist use to residential dwellings. In 2019, 671 certificates were requested, in 2022 there were 630 and in 2023 the figure of 932 tourist housing certificates was reached.

Last June, the Town Council set up the first meeting of the working group, made up of technicians, politicians and representatives of the sectors involved, to study the housing situation in Calpe, the aim of which is to analyse the different solutions within the municipal competence framework, to determine solutions and actions aimed at achieving the objective of affordable and decent housing.

In this first meeting, the need to control and limit tourist housing was already addressed. Previously, the Town Council agreed to suspend the change of use from commercial premises to housing. In recent years, the proliferation of tourist housing far in excess of residential housing has caused problems of access to housing in the municipality.

The councillor for Territorial Planning, Juan Manuel del Pino, pointed out that ‘tourist accommodation has broken the housing market, tourist accommodation has raised prices exorbitantly and this has resulted in a social problem. We are very aware of the problem of access to housing and we are working on various lines to balance the housing situation in the municipality’.

Friday, 23rd:

• From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. - Photography exhibition ‘Exogenesis’ by Aitor del Arco. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 30 August.
• From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
• From 19 h - Street food organised by Filà Moriscos in collaboration with Calpe Town Council. With the best street food and live performances. Plaza Mayor.
• 19.30 h - Talk: ‘Dialogues with Jacinto Moragues’. Jacinto Moragues, a native of Calpe, has a PhD in Chemistry and has been the inventor and co-inventor of 107 patents in Spain, four in the USA, 18 in Great Britain and another seven in European countries. Among the best known is one of the most widely used stomach protectors, ‘Almax’. Saló Blau.
• Guided tours of the Old Town. Compulsory registration at the tourist offices: 96 583 69 20 / 96 583 85 32 / turismo@ajCalpe.es):

19.30 h - in English

20 h - in Spanish

• 20 h - Street Music: Concert by Matías Torres. Ajuntament Vell.
• Exhibition ‘The sea and other encounters’ by María Pérez Herrero. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell. Until 31st August.
• 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, 24th:

• From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Photography exhibition ‘Exogenesis’ by Aitor del Arco. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 30th August.
• From 18 to 1 h - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
• From 19 h - Street food organised by Filà Moriscos in collaboration with Calpe Town Council. With the best street food and live performances. Plaza Mayor.
• Exhibition ‘The sea and other encounters’ by María Pérez Herrero. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell. Until 31 August.
• 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, 25th:

• From 18 to 1 h - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
• 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).

Agents of the CALPE USC unit of the Local Police proceeded this week to the removal of non-perishable material, allegedly counterfeit, from the Paseo del Arenal Bol in Calpe, with an approximate retail value of 10,000 euros. The items seized, mainly sportswear, bags and accessories, were taken to police headquarters for their quantification and quantification.

So far this summer (July and August) the local police of Calpe have made 28 interventions of non-perishable material in the Paseo de Calpe, in response to the phenomenon of ‘manteros’ (illegal street vendors), in which material with a market value of more than 50,000 euros has been removed from illegal sale, materials that are kept in police custody until their destruction.

Also, within the context of these operations, two vehicles have been seized in the last few days which were used as warehouses and actively used for the illegal sale of these products.

The Local Police Department of Calpe, directed by Guillermo Sendra, has incorporated a new unit for the surveillance of bicycle rides and has recently acquired two drones that, among other functions, will be used for the fight and investigation of this illegal sale of products in areas as important for local tourism as the promenades of La Fossa and Arenal Bol.

The Calpe Local Police Department, in coordination with the Police Headquarters, is using all available resources, without neglecting the other services required by Calpe, to fight against this type of illegal sale.

The Local Police Councillor reminds and points out that ‘residents and visitors to Calpe should know that the sale and purchase of these products is prohibited and that our visitors should be aware that the buyers of these products could also be sanctioned’. In this respect, an information campaign on the responsibility of the consumer of illegal products will be launched shortly.

On the other hand, this week several members of the Calpe government team met with various representatives of the Association of Businessmen and Traders of Calpe to discuss the street selling of products on the promenades. Among those present at the meeting were the mayoress Ana Sala, along with councillors Paqui Solivelles, Guillermo Sendra, Marco Bittner, Mireia Ripoll and Itziar Doval, who reiterated the commitment of the local government to comply with current legislation.

During the meeting, the importance of enforcing the municipal ordinance prohibiting street vending in these spaces was discussed. The municipal representatives underlined the effectiveness of the established regulations in ensuring a safe and orderly environment for residents and the thousands of tourists who visit Calpe. The commitment of the local government is not only focused on law enforcement, but also on raising community awareness of the risks and implications of supporting this type of illegal trade.

The results of the water analysis of the Arenal-Bol beach reveal that the water is in an excellent condition, so the Town Council has reopened the stretch of the beach at the mouth of the Quisi ravine to bathing.

The Directorate General for Water has sent the Town Hall the report on the analysis of the water samples from the bathing area taken last Monday, when the possible breakage of the purified water collector was detected. However, after the appropriate checks, it has been ruled out that this was the cause.

The municipality of Calpe immediately took preventive measures to avoid health risks, such as building a sand dike at the mouth of the Quisi ravine to prevent more water from reaching the sea, fencing off the area to prevent users from accessing it, as well as prohibiting bathing in that section. The treated water was also chlorinated to reduce the possible load of microorganisms and to keep the water on the beach at optimum levels for bathing.

‘In Calpe, we have acted with caution and transparency, prioritising health safety. Finally, it has been verified that the outfall has not broken and that the water for bathing is of excellent quality’, said the mayoress of Calpe, Ana Sala.

The Calpe Local Police has set up a specific aerial resources’ unit called UMAC (Calpe Aerial Resources Unit) made up of four officers trained in the use of security drones.

This unit was created with the acquisition by the City Council of 2 latest generation security drones model DJI Pack Mavic 3 PRO, one of which has an infrared camera for night vision to locate people or animals.

The drones have cameras with different zoom, loudspeaker and spotlight and have a range of 10 kilometres. These devices also have an automatic tracking system for identified vehicles and people, a parachute to cushion falls in the event of flying over urban areas and sensors to avoid collisions with obstacles. The equipment, with an investment of €10,000, includes not only the drones, but also 6 batteries and training for the officers, as well as licences and insurance.

The new unit of the Local Police includes multiple functions, from traffic control or pursuit of vehicles and people to surveillance of boats, assistance in health services, search for missing persons, surveillance at rallies and events, pursuit of illegal dumping and environmental crimes or surveillance of promenades and pursuit of illegal sales.

The Councillor for Public Safety, Guillermo Sendra, pointed out that ‘the UMAC is related to security issues and traffic control, the unit is going to be formed little by little as its functions are multiple, from traffic control or search for people to the control of illegal dumping. It has a camera, spotlight and microphone, so it can be used at night and can be used to hold conversations in the event of rescues or situations that are difficult to access. Although the devices are small, they are the latest in this type of technology and will become an essential tool for the Police and the City Council’.

Calpe Town Council has carried out a campaign to encourage the participation of visitors and tourists in the satisfaction survey of the Smart Tourist Destination Plan (in Spanish, Plan de Destino Turístico Inteligente DTI).

To this end, a gift has been given to all those who have participated in this survey, which aims to collect information about their experience in Calpe. The initiative has been a great success as 68 surveys have been carried out in two days, until the stock of gifts has been used up. The survey will be available all year round and it is planned that other actions will be developed at a later date to encourage tourist participation in these questionnaires.

‘I would like to encourage all tourists and visitors to continue to participate in the Smart Tourism Destination Plan survey. The collection of these opinions is essential so that we can continue to improve the tourist experience in our town,’ said Tourism Planning Councillor Mireia Ripoll. She added: ‘The data collected will serve as a guide to develop and plan more promotional actions aimed at attracting visitors throughout the year, which is why this action will not be the only one we will carry out to encourage responses as we want to have opinions of the different profiles of tourists who visit us at different times of the year. The ultimate goal is to enhance the diversity of visitor segments and improve the sustainability of tourism in Calpe’.

Through this consultation, tourists give their opinion about the tourist services in the town, about mobility, transport and accessibility in Calpe, about the tourist information available, if they consider that there is enough tourist infrastructure and activities on offer, if they have felt safe and if they have used mobile applications or online technologies to improve their tourist experience, among other questions.

The survey is available online. It can also be accessed through a QR code in the tourist offices and tourist information points and on the digital information screens distributed in the old town of Calpe and at other points of the municipality (Fisherman's market, Fossa promenade, Arenal-Bol promenade and next to the Red Wall).

Calpe Town Council has closed a stretch of Arenal-Bol beach this morning after detecting a possible break in the collector that sends treated water from the treatment plant to the sea. The closed section affects the mouth of the Quisi ravine.

Despite being treated water and to avoid possible health risks, the Calpe town council has taken preventive measures such as banning bathing in the area, for which the beach has been marked with buoys. A sand dyke has also been created at the mouth of the Quisi ravine to prevent more water from reaching the sea and the area has been fenced off to prevent users from accessing it.

In addition, a water sample has been taken from the spring - from the point where the possible break in the collector is located - and from the bathing area to find out if the water is suitable for bathing. And the treated water has been chlorinated to reduce the load of microorganisms and to keep the beach water at optimum levels for bathing.

At the same time, the Blue Flag of the Arenal-Bol beach has been lowered and will not be raised again until the results of the analyses are available. Calpe Town Council has notified the Directorate General for Water and ADEAC - the body that awards the blue flags - of all these incidents.

All these preventive measures will be maintained until the results of the analyses confirming that the beach is suitable for bathing are known.

The mayoress Ana Sala, as representative of Calpe Town Council, and Miguel Pastor, as president of the Calpe-Ifac Unión Musical, have ratified before a notary the exchange of land that will allow the start of the accessibility works to the premises of the Department of Social Welfare located in the building called Casa de la Música.

The agreement between Calpe Town Hall and the Calpe- Unión Musical allows the exchange of 50,02m2 on the ground floor of the building owned by the Unión Musical for 70,03 m² on the first floor owned by the Town Hall. This exchange corresponds to the need to adjust the access of the building where the offices of the Social Welfare Department are located to the requirements established by the regulations for public buildings.

In 2007, the Town Council and the Unión Musical signed a protocol of intentions by which the Calpe band ceded to the Town Council the plot of land it owned on Avenida del Puerto de Santa María. This protocol committed the Town Hall to the construction of a building, transferring to the Unión Musical the ownership of the ground floor premises, of approximately 515 m², where the rehearsal room would be located, with direct access from the street, storage for instruments, toilets and other rooms attached to the band, and an area on the first floor for classrooms and administrative areas. The rest of the four-storey building became municipal property.

Although it was originally planned to use these municipal facilities for social housing, it was finally agreed to locate the offices of the Social Welfare Department in them. Hence the current need to adapt the access to the requirements of a building for public use.

This signature makes it possible to tackle the refurbishment and the preparation of the facilities with the aim that the facilities of the Social Welfare Department of will be operational before the end of the year. This municipal department will finally have suitable premises.

This week the Parc dels Garrofers has been opened to the public, after the remodelling works started last May. This is the complete remodelling of this urban park located next to the Casa de Cultura and close to the Civic Centre. The works were awarded to the company Cemer Play S.L. for 230,989 euros and are 100% financed by the Provincial Council as part of the n +Cerca 2023 Plan.

At present, the work has consisted of replacing the children's playground equipment and installing a continuous shock-absorbing pavement. The park equipment has also been replaced with new benches and new litter bins. All the wooden material in the park is made of rice husk, this type of material does not need maintenance and is much more durable as it is waterproof. In addition, some of the playground equipment contains elements made from sea plastics recycled by Gravity Wave.

In the lower area of the park there was a circuit of healthy elements in poor condition due to its time of service and new equipment has been installed with 4 healthy elements and 2 elements for users with reduced mobility. In addition, a wooden pergola has been installed in a paved area with tables and wooden benches.

The fencing which was in poor condition and which encloses the perimeter of the park has also been renewed. To increase the shade in the children's play area, mulberry trees have been planted in specific areas and the public toilets in the park have been renovated.

The mayoress, Ana Sala, visited the park this morning, accompanied by councillors Juan Manuel del Pino and Guillermo Sendra, and pointed out that "our aim is to continue renovating and improving the municipality's parks, and projects are already underway to improve the park in the Plaza de Ifac and the park between the Plaza Mayor and Navío Street. We need to renovate these facilities and provide them with more shade".