From Monday, an official informant will be deployed to the area to report anyone leaving rubbish in the streets to the Local Police. Those who dump rubbish could be fined up to 500 euros, or 1,500 euros if they dump construction debris or appliances.
Visitors and Residents
The Council says the main problem is that a number of extra people descend on Son Serra to spend the weekend at second homes or vacation rentals or just to enjoy a day at the beach.
Signs have been put up near the beach asking visitors to take their rubbish home, but the majority of people still appear to be leaving it beside the glass container next to the bars.
There was a large influx of visitors and residents during the first weekend of summer and Local Police have already issued fines. Now that an informant is being deployed to the area to report fly-tippers, Officers are confident that more people will be cited.
"There are few Police Patrols available for Santa Margalida, Can Picafort and Son Serra, so an informant will reinforce their work by collecting evidence and warning Police Officers," said Municipal Environmental Technician, Antoni Nadal.
Misuse of the Green Point
The City Council says it’s aware that residents of the Son Serra may also be misusing the garbage collection system.
All residents have a key to the Green Point in Son Serra where they can deposit waste in containers, if they’re not able to take it to the street at the set collection times for paper, glass, packaging and organic materials. But some days numerous bags and objects are abandoned at the door of the Green Point.
“It’s not just visitors who risk being fined, residents who do not comply will also be penalised, because they have a key to the Green Point," says Nadal.
Environmental informants are also going door-to-door to inform residents about the rules for disposing of rubbish and warning them that they will be penalised if they dump it in the streets.
“We have reinforced surveillance and we will issue more fines,” vowed Santa Margalida Mayor Joan Monjo.
Mayor Monjo, has also confirmed that a Municipal Security Guard will be monitoring the beach from Monday to check that people are not leaving rubbish on the sand or in the surrounding area.
When the door-to-door collection system was introduced in June, the rubbish containers were removed from the streets and Mayor Monjo warned then, that there would be no litter bins or containers for the Son Serra de Marina beach, which has a lot of visitors every weekend.
"I will not allow Margalidans to pay for a beach cleaning service in a place that is used by so many people from outside the area,” he said.
He also wanted to install a beach bar and put the concessionaire in charge of cleaning the beach but that suggestion was met with opposition from the Ministry of the Environment.
The City Council cleans the beach twice a year.
No comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
Currently there are no comments.