To begin this manifesto, the group of affected traders wishes to make clear that it, as well as any action that may arise from the defence of our interests, is outside any political option and that its aim would never be to damage the good name of Manilva, our town, where we have our businesses.
It was 18 January 2022 when Manilva Town Hall announced via its social media that the councillor for Works and Infrastructure, Diego José Jiménez, would give information on the works to be carried out on the Sabinillas seafront promenade.
The meeting (on the 20th) was attended by the aforementioned councillor responsible for Infrastructure and Works and by Marcos Ruiz, as well as a significant number of hoteliers and traders from the promenade. At that same meeting it was agreed, as the media present reported, to «safeguard at all times the interests of the affected businesses».
Jiménez stated in his address that «we understand your problem and we are one hundred per cent with you, but the inconvenience will be worth it and is an investment for the future».
The politician responsible for the works told us at that very moment, without further consultation, that the works would begin immediately and would be carried out in three sections, the first being the one between Burger King and the Marymar restaurant.
The drafting of the promenade project «is complete and will be carried out in three sections, with each one starting once the previous one has finished, in order to cause the least possible disruption to businesses in the area», the councillor stated, accompanied by technicians from his department (as reported by the media present at the event). They also undertook that the works would «almost certainly» be finished by the end of June and, if necessary, «would be stopped to protect the San Juan date«, a date on which those of us present stated «we all eat».
Those of us attending told the municipal officials of our concern about the situation the works could cause, and we hoped and trusted that we would be able to enjoy San Juan and of course the summer, and also that aid would arrive to cover the costs and loss of income that these works entail.
After various meetings with the councillor responsible and with the mayor himself, Mario Jiménez, at the end of May we find ourselves with a critical situation in the works, due to slowness, lack of workers and shifts, errors in execution and other issues known to all, which have brought it to a standstill with no visible progress, mainly due to a lack of staff and resources, despite repeated requests to the municipal officials to pass this request on to the contractor.
In view of this situation and the lack of clear and truthful information on the timeframes for completion, as well as the necessary aid that this group has requested in the meetings held, we wish to let residents know that:
1. Such a major project should never have been scheduled without the consent and approval of those affected, and so close to the dates of greatest tourist influx to our municipality.
2. We denounce the lack of initial information and the failure to keep the promises made in the meetings held.
3. We consider that the municipal officials have not assessed the economic impact that carrying out the works at this time of year has on the municipality, thereby causing significant economic damage to the local economy and to employment.
4. We demand the utmost speed in providing the necessary aid to the affected businesses, so that it can genuinely help to alleviate the damage caused.
5. We announce now that, if financial compensation is not obtained, those affected will use every means available to us to claim our legitimate rights.
6. We wish to make it clear to the public that it is not our intention to tarnish the name of Manilva; quite the opposite, as what concerns us greatly is the image our municipality is presenting and may show this summer to those who visit us.
7. We request an urgent meeting with municipal officials, in which the local media can take part, to adopt the appropriate decisions to put an end to the situation caused for our businesses.
8. This manifesto is open to the collection of signatures in support from the various companies and self-employed workers who are also affected by the closure or reduced activity of our premises, which also impacts on their own income.
We also announce that we have begun the necessary consultations for the legal defence of our interests, and that we will launch various protest actions against the current state of the works. For these actions we will seek the support of all those residents who love our municipality and want the best for Manilva.
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