Around Majorca

ARTA
The Town Council budget for 2004 makes provision for the sale of 4 plots of land as an attempt to address the municipal debt which has reached 10 million euros. It is the first time in the history of the Council that such measures have been taken. The ruling team in the Council made up of Union Majorca (UM), the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), and the United Left/Green Party coalition (EU-EV) appeared confident that such sale would not in fact have to go ahead and that “the budget would eventually be balanced”.

The lands in question, on which a total value of 1'700'000 euros has been placed, consist of 1 plot on the industrial estate, another at S'Estanyol, the old theatre, and an area adjacent to the Colonia de Sant Pere school.

Illegal chalet

FELANITX
The ecological watchdog in the Balearics, GOB, is considering enlarging on the complaints it has already lodged with the Environment ministry's legal department on works being carried out at Sa Serra Llonga, a designated Natural Area of Special Interest (ANEI) in Felanitx. The case in question involves the building of a purportedly illegal chalet.

The ecologists signalled that they will step up legal proceedings if Felanitx Town Council fails to take firm action and force the proprietor to respect already-existing statutes.

Events unfolded last February when GOB and a group of residents in s'Horta lodged a legal complaint against a forest pathway being forged out at Sa Serra Llonga.

The construction project encompasses thousands of square metres of virgin pine and brushwood areas on extensive sloping terrain. The result of earthworks at the site have left the zone seriously eroded, with a scarred visual impact.

GOB, who have no legislative authority, drew the attention of the local Council and the Environment ministry to the project so that necessary steps could be taken to halt the works. The mayor of Felanitx, Catalina Soler, has suggested that the construction can be legalised with a Ministry licence and an environmental study.

Wiping out pollution

SOLLER
Fomento de Contratas y Construccion, the company which is carrying out the water diversion works from sa Costera within the Mayor torrente (water course) at Soller, will be dealing with as many as 30 untreated water outlets which flow directly into the torrente right in the middle of the town.

These points are located in the covered section of the water course, underneath Jeroni Estades avenue. For years now, it has been known that outlets existed which were not connected to the network, and a Council project to address the issue failed to “track down” all the sources.

Whilst they are laying piping to carry away water from the torrente for human consumption, Fomento will be collaborating with the Town Council to put an end to this serious contamination problem.

A century scored

PORTO CRISTO
On 19 September last, a local Pensioners Association threw a party to celebrate the 100th birthday of Miquel Santandreu Duran.
The event was organised in collaboration with Manacor Town Council. Delegate for Porto Cristo, Jaume Brunet, awarded the centenarian a commemorative plaque.