Summary of ideas and proposals for the General Town Plan which met with an overall consensus from the Peoples' Forum. Agenda21 Xàbia
April 2007
(freely translated from Memoria de Participación Ciudadana sobre el Concierto Previo del Plan General de Xàbia (PGOU) April 2007
1.Criteria which define the model of the town
Model for the area based on the projection of a medium-sized town, with a population stabilising at around 50,000 inhabitants, which is attractive for year round quality tourism, without congestion, which favours mobility, which consolidates the provision of adequate public infrastructure, green zones and protected housing, enhances small businesses and public spaces, protects areas of high ecological value (the banks of the Rió Gorgos and network of green corridors among others) and conserves the agricultural landscape, the coastline and the identity of the area as differential values. This model, likewise, sees a reorganisation and concentration of industrial uses in the existing industrial area in the zone of Catarroges, without increasing the land area.
As a general principle to reach the model thus described, the recommended option is for part of the land currently classified as urbanisable by the General Plan of 1990 to be declassified. The declassification will have to be preceded by a case by case analysis of the sectors likely to be affected. The object of this analysis is to identify which land can be declassified without generating municipal patrimonial responsibility and without risking large compensation payments which the town cannot afford in its budget (the idea put forth corresponds with the concept of “Zero growth”, that is to say “minimal but unavoidable growth” taking into account land which has been approved for development under the previous General Plan, but which has not yet been developed, to which the Forum has made reference at different stages of participation)..
In relation to the land area finally classified as “Land scheduled for housing development”, it is contended that overall it should be compact development – housing and/or hotels centralised around the the Old Town-Port-Arenal and, when considered for extensive use, for individual houses on plots of 1500 m2.
2.Land uses which should be enhanced
The following achieved a high level of consensus:
- Tourist facilities
- Areas needing special protection
- Cultural, sports and health facilities
3.Locations of developments:
- Intensive use for housing :
This should be around the three existing urban centres. In concrete terms in those zones which are already classified for urban use and in which there are already apartments. This should always take into account the principle that housing development should be restricted to land which cannot be declassified due to legal / economic problems (principle of unavoidable growth)
- Extensive residential use: Potential locations for this type of development were suggested mainly in the zones: Golf-Lluca-Valls, Rebaldi and Saladar, again alluding to the principle of “unavoidable growth” outlined in the previous paragraph.
- Industrial uses: The forum opted, as has previously been noted, for this to be re-organised and concentrated in the already consolidated industrial area of Catarroges.
- Commercial uses: The consolidation of commercial uses is foreseen in the Old Town, Port and Arenal.
4. Municipal facilities
- Bus Station:Near Calle Angel Ganivet
- Sports zones:
Saladar (conditional on a study on flooding)
Port (expansion of the existing facilities)
Frechinal (expansion of the existing facilities)
In addition, and although the above should be considered as priorities, there should also be other sports zones e.g. In the Arenal.
- Parking: The proposed locations (almost unanimously agreed) for public parking were:
Port
Arenal (majority support but not unanimous)
- Land reserved for possible future Hospital:Two alternative locations: Catarroges, near the Poligon industrial, or El Pla, behind Montañar 1 (both possibilities were considered adequate by the Forum)
- Auditorium: To be constructed in the north zone of El Pla, behind Montañar 1. In addition to this the forum wanted to indicate the desirability of a summer open air auditorium in Saladar.
- Green Zones:
The largest green zone should be situated in Saladar. In addition the green zone north of the Port should be consolidated.
5. Treatment of Non-Urbanisable Land
- Pla (“The Orange Groves”) - agreed by a majority that this should be classified as “Common non-urbanisable land” (Note: this means that one dwelling can be built on 10,000 m2) in order to preserve the agricultural landscape of the area.
- Protected land: It was agreed that land newly classified as protected should be concentrated around already protected areas. (declassifying land next to non-consolidated urbanisable land when it can be afforded and swapping the classification of “strategic” plots of land). It was also agreed that the banks of the Rio Gorgos should be protected to a distance of 500 metres from the river bed.
6. Additional ideas for which land should be reserved:
-Golf: It was agreed by a majority not to expand the existing golf course, nor to create a new golf course.
- Sports facilities in Cansalades - Lluca: No to this suggestion
- Compost Plant : Agreed; for Vegetable waste (garden and agricultural) somewhere on the Ramblars area.
- Ecopark: Agreed; (location to be decided by the Municipality)
- Conference Centre, Summer University, Location of EU “Mediterranean Neighbours Forum” Agreed that an all purpose centre should be built. (Location to be decided)
- Fire Station: Agreed; (Location to be decided)
- Nature Appreciation Centre: Agreed; location between Catarroges and the Rio Gorgos.
All translation errors are mine! Grateful thanks to David Barnes for vetting and editing my efforts - Christine Betterton- Jones
