Shopkeepers whose businesses are affected by the works on the Sabinillas seafront promenade voice their concern at the apparent slowness of the works, which are directly affecting their income and have forced some of them to close their doors.
This morning, a good number of these shopkeepers met to assess the situation and progress of the works, the different actions to be taken and the proposals to put to Manilva Town Hall, as well as their various doubts about the completion of the different phases of the project.
In the afternoon, around 15 affected shopkeepers met with the Councillor for Public Works, Diego José Jiménez, who, accompanied by the mayor, Mario Jiménez, tried to answer each and every one of the questions raised. The Councillor for Commerce, Francisco Becerra, was conspicuous by his absence from this meeting, which is so important for the retail sector.
Diego José began by reassuring those present, stating that «the works are going like a shot», that deadlines are being met and that the initial forecast of completing these two phases by 1 July still stands despite the transport strike, which led to the second phase being started early so that the workers could continue making progress.
The shopkeepers asked the Town Hall to consider several points:
- Finish the first phase now; the mayor said in response that the contractor has informed him that the paving is due to arrive next week and that they would presumably begin laying it then.
- The shopkeepers request that an effort be made to bring forward the end of the works on these two phases so that they can reopen with some degree of normality on 1 June and not lose this month too, which is so important for local tourism. They therefore ask that the contractor be required to try to double the work shifts or increase the number of workers currently carrying out the works.
- Another point raised by the shopkeepers was the possibility of their businesses receiving some kind of «extra assistance» from the Town Hall, such as the waiving of the fee for the use of public space for the next 4 years. The mayor again took the floor to inform those present that three types of assistance are currently being considered: a general one, with an allocation within the municipal budget; one for the installation of the new awnings; and a third under the current ordinance on terraces on public roads. However, no amounts have been set for the moment and everything is pending study in the new budgets.
Other points «criticised» at this meeting by the shopkeepers were the lack of information when decisions are taken and the haste with which the works have been started, which gave them practically no time to organise their staff, orders, etc. Diego José Jiménez accepted the criticism and said that in future they would try to communicate any action with somewhat more notice.
The last point on which all the shopkeepers agreed was the unforgivable state the beaches have been in, and remain in today. The meeting was held in one of the affected businesses in the centre of Sabinillas, overlooking the Sabinillas beach, and from its windows these shopkeepers put the two Town Hall representatives present on the spot. They even called for the resignation of the current Councillor for Beaches, Eva Galindo, for her ineffectiveness, for another year, in the management and upkeep of what is considered the tourism engine of the municipality.
Finally, those present agreed to hold a new meeting on 5 May at 18:00 to keep in contact and continue to be informed of the progress of the works.
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