The Calpe City Council has presented the Integrated Action Plan to the call for EDIL Plans (Strategies for Local Integrated Development) of ERDF funds, which has a total budget of 12,260,500 euros, 60 percent of which would be subsidised through these European grants.
The Integrated Action Plan (PAI) is a document required to be eligible for this call for proposals; it is based on Calpe's Urban Agenda and includes three strategic projects for the sustainable urban development of Calpe: the remodelling of the Paseo Marítimo de la Fossa and the Plaza Mayor and the construction of the 21st Century Tourist Office, which are now eligible for these European funds. The Calpe Integrated Action Programme highlights the transformative capacity of these initiatives for the municipality - a requirement established by the EDIL Plans call for proposals - as they will favour a more inclusive, sustainable and innovative urban development.
In fact, these projects aim to improve the capacity, accessibility and adaptation to climate change of these public spaces, as well as integrating them into the Calpe Smart City project.
The refurbishment of the Fossa seafront promenade is the project with the largest budget, a total of 9,070,000 euros, and aims to modernise and improve this infrastructure, built in the 1970s and which is significantly deteriorated not only due to the passage of time but also due to recurrent damage from increasingly intense storms caused by climate change.
The project will consist of redeveloping the seafront promenade by reinforcing and replacing retaining walls and renovating the pavement, as well as improving its green areas. In this sense, flowerbeds and planters will be redesigned and climate shelters with native vegetation will be created to provide shaded areas and adapted furniture. The supply, sanitation and electricity networks will also be renovated - with LED lighting to improve energy efficiency - as well as street furniture and architectural barriers will be removed. The project also includes inclusive play areas for children with functional diversity, as well as a new tourist office in the Plaza del Mediterráneo equipped with interactive digital information systems, among other actions.
The remodelling of the Plaza Mayor, meanwhile, has a budget of 2,300,000 euros. With 9,586 m², it is the town's busiest space, hosting 95% of Calpe's cultural activities, events and celebrations, and is currently in a state of disrepair with problems of leaks in the car park located underneath. With this project, as well as solving this problem, the aim is also to adapt it to climate change with the introduction of a system of textile awnings and misting systems as well as vertical gardens and green roofs to increase vegetation and improve thermal comfort. It should be remembered, in this sense, that the square is currently a surface without shade, which limits its use in summer. In addition, this project will see the installation of solar panels and improvements to accessibility with the elimination of architectural barriers.
Sustainable mobility will also be promoted with car parks and recharging points for bicycles and electric scooters.
The 21st-century tourist office has a budget of 890,500 euros. It will be located in a building that the Town Council acquired in 2018, on Llibertat Street, in the heart of the historic centre. It will replace the current premises in Mosquit Square, which have become obsolete in terms of digital equipment, accessibility and space to serve its 62,000 annual visitors.
The aim is to create a modern centre equipped with cutting-edge technology to promote Calpe's tourist attractions as part of its goal of becoming a smart tourist destination. In fact, it will involve a new concept in tourist service as it will be provided through new technologies, not only through electronic brochures or digital screens but also by offering visitors immersive experiences.
With a surface area of 180 m², it will have a ground floor open to the public, visually connected to a small square. The first floor will house offices and a terrace with a multipurpose space for events and will have photovoltaic panels. It will also have a bicycle and scooter parking area with electric recharging points and a container return point.
‘The PAI Calpe lays the foundations for a more inclusive, sustainable and innovative urban development. Its implementation will consolidate the town as a benchmark in accessibility, digitalisation and environmental resilience, improving the quality of life and its positioning as a tourist destination in the Mediterranean,’ said Marco Bittner, councillor for European Grants and Funds.