Fraud implicated in fall in AMJASA water consumption
May 31st
The fraud is partly responsible for the fact that the water bill in Xàbia fell from 4,650,546 cubic meters in 2016 to 4,050,348 cubic meters in the previous year, which means around 600 cubic meters less. Some suspicious bills have been detected. Another contributory factor could be the slightly higher rainfall this year as compared to last. Amjasa ended the financial year with a surplus of €956,000 which will be invested in improving the network. During 2017 The company has replaced several kilometres of cement fibre pipes (which still comprise more than a third of the network) and 2876 water meters. For full story see: La Marina Plaza
Infrastructure plan for Xàbia to unvest 2 million Euros
May 30th
ome two million euros is to be invested in carrying out and developing a series of important proposals in Xàbia including the long-awaited swimming pool, the re-development of the Central Cinema building in the heart of the historic centre, an improved industrial estate zone and a coastal pathway between the port and Arenal. The project has been entitled "Xàbia En Marxa" which consists of an action plan for 2018 and the first few months of 2019 which includes a series of important development proposals which will be highlighted and placed in a hold pattern ready for the necessary budget and funding agreements to be available. The total investment for this medium-term strategic planning is valued at around 20 million euros. For full story see: Javeamigos For future reference, details are also posted on this site on : Xàbia En Marxa 2018
Another outbreak of the tree and vine killer, Xylella
May 21st
The plague that does not stop. The Ministry of Agriculture has just detected the seventh outbreak of 'Xylella fastidiosa', three months after the last was declared. The only good news is that this seventh outbreak does not extend to more locations in the 22 municipalities that are the most affected in the Alicante region, among which in the Marina Alta are Alcalalí, Benigembla, Gata de Gorgos, Llíber, Murla, Parcent, Senija , and Xaló . The bacterium, which is transmitted through insects that act as vectors, is responsible for several diseases that cause the death of the affected plant, which end up drying up. Among the affected species (more than 360) are the almond tree, whose plantations are the most affected in the Comunitat are citrus, olive and the vines. The measures taken to prevent the spread include the destruction of vulnerable plant species within a 100 metre radius of the infected tree. Needless to say, the tree growers are up in arms about this. From La Marina Plaza
Plastic carrier bags in all shops in Spain will be charged for from July 1 this year
May 21st
According to a new Bill of Law, or Royal Decree published this weekend. Supermarkets already charge now for plastic bags – typically two cents for the small and more flimsy ones traditionally used for decades, and around 10 cents for larger, sturdier ones – but other retailers, in the main, continue to give them out for free, especially small, family-run stores. From July, however, they will no longer be allowed to do so and will have to apply a charge. For full story see: Think Spain
The history of the contractor for the Xàbia auditorium: four works abandonments and diverse delays
May 21st
The construction contract of the Xàbia auditorium is in doubt since the contractor has stopped work (citing rain and mud to begin with), and now they are asking for more money. The company Joca Ingeniería y Construcciones is now asking for more money. They had put in a bid of €2.4 million 27% less than the budget price (€3.3million). La Marina Plaza revealed that this was not the first time they had behaved in this manner, and reported four other large scale contracts won by the company through tendering at a low price which they had subsequently abandoned. From La Marina Plaza. Xàbia's opposition PP has spoken up by saying the Xàbia must stop awarding contracts to the lowest bidder (Full story in Javeamigos
Valencian Government protects 7500 hectares of coastal land.
May 9th
Valencia has approved the Territorial Action Plan of the Green Infrastructure of the Coast of the Valencian Community (Pativel), whose main objective is the protection and active conservation of the most valuable free coastal spaces and preserves more than 7,500 hectares of land in the three provinces. In addition to conservation, this plan aims to ensure the ecological and functional connectivity of the sea with the interior, avoid urban consolidation and urban barriers that damage the coastline and improve the quality of the built space to be more competitive with respect to new tourism demands. Pativel proposes the active conservation of more than 7,500 hectares of high environmental, territorial and landscape quality, distinguishing two main categories: undeveloped land for coastal protection (up to 500 meters from the shore of the sea) and undeveloped land for coastal reinforcement (from 500 to 1,000 meters from the shore of the sea). The Generalitat stresses that this plan, "far from cutting the growth of the coast, seeks to conserve and value the most valuable soils of the coast, while maintaining them as open spaces or green areas of the coastal municipalities, improving the quality of their urban fabric ". From: 20 minutos.es
