The plenary session of Calp Town Council today agreed, with Defendamos Calpe and Compromís voting against and the PSPV-PSOE abstaining, to allocate 4,178,125 euros of the remaining funds from the 2019 budget for a total of fourteen investments to be implemented during 2021.
The municipal budget for 2020 provided for certain investments to be made with this balance, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility that this balance could be used for other purposes put its execution on hold and, as local authorities are finally allowed to use their balances in the financial years 2020 and 2021, the relevant file was created to initiate this change for the use of the 2019 balance.
Specifically, the remainder is earmarked for investments such as phase 5 and the completion of the building in calle Puerto Santa María or Casa de la Música, for which €726,825 will be allocated.
In addition, 585,525 euros will be used for the renovation of the La Manzanera Club Social, 680,750 euros for the pedestrian bridge and coastal renovation of Cala La Manzanera and 95,625 euros for the improvement of the external urbanisation of the La Manzanera Club Social
Other important investments are the refortification of urbanisations (lot 1) for an amount of 486,700 euros and the refortification of urbanisations (lot 2) for 494,900 euros. Also included is an item of 250,525 euros for road repair and 100,000 euros for street lighting (100 solar-powered street lights).
Another important investment is that of road M for access to the new school, which is foreseen in the Plan Edificant, with a budget of 493,975 euros, and the adaptation of areas adjacent to road J with an amount of 83,500 euros.
60,000 euros are earmarked for the adaptation of Casa Roja for the family recreation centre and 3,000 euros for the furnishing of this space.
The construction of a water intake point in the Sierra de Oltà is included in the fire prevention and extinguishing measures at a cost of €76,800 and, as a new feature, €40,000 has been earmarked to provide space for municipal gardens.
All investments under consideration must be carried out within 2021. Although the balance of the 2019 Treasury was 6,275,103 euros, part of this has already been allocated by COVID-19 to the various aid programmes.
Defendamos Calpe's spokesman, Paco Quiles, said that "this type of investment does not seem appropriate to us in these circumstances; there is a lack of help for companies and vulnerable people. These investments do not help people and are not aimed at revitalising the economy, there are more important things. At the very least, they could be productive investments which have an impact on the economy of the people of Calp, but that is not the case either".
The spokesman for Compromís, Ximo Perles, stressed: "Spending one million euros on asphalt does not seem consistent at this stage, it is an optional measure, we do not share these investments, the rest could be allocated to social services where it is most needed, because in Calp there are critical circumstances, there is an uncertainty that is not known.
For his part, the PSPV-PSOE spokesperson, Santos Pastor, added that "we are surprised by the list of investments because some are not priority; there are no environmental investments or municipal housing, and we are missing the opportunity to allocate the rest to other necessary investments with a higher priority.
Ciudadanos' spokesman, Juan Manuel del Pino, stressed that "we have thought about the interest of Calp; we think that all the activities will benefit the whole town; we have approved many grants, and these investments come to improve Calp's image and will lead to an improvement in the community".
Paco Avargues, PP spokesperson, insisted that "the aid has been set up for all sectors, and the lack of asphalt is a real and objective fact; it is not propaganda, because for some time now it has really been necessary to asphalt many areas of the municipality. As for La Manzanera Club Social, the concession will be lost if this is not done".
The Mayor, Ana Sala, concluded: "I understand that you are angry that the government team is taking action, but these are investments that have been planned since February 2020".