Calpe wins facelift
PLANS TO regenerate Calpe’s historic Old Town will be drawn up after residents put forward their own ideas for the facelift.
In a 50,000€ contest professionals such as private sector architects and developers must incorporate the people’s proposals in plans for the project.
And the competition is part of the plan to build on Calpe as a sustainable town for the future and consolidate its reputation as an important holiday destination.
However, by putting the project at the first in line has ruffled the feathers European residents of the Marina Alta town – they believe they have been again overlooked and much-needed work in the urbanisations has been put to the back of the queue.
They are unhappy that 400,000€ of promised government money – much of it for resurfacing roads – has not arrived to begin work outside the town’s core.
Mayor Cesar Sanchez believes the Old Town project will create “an urban piece of jewellery” and place Calpe as a tourist centre “par excellence” and “provide its citizens with economic welfare and opportunities.”
INCOME
Tourism currently provides Calpe with 90% of its income and the historic centre is seen as an important attraction for visitors.
Councillor Carole Saunders explained: “It is to bring the Old Town back to life, improving businesses and tourism, and making it a lovely place to visit at any time of the day or night.
“It is not a case of rebuilding the Old Town but regenerating it and the Mayor has started by asking for everyone’s ideas.”
She said the project was one of three that Mayor Sanchez had highlighted to be completed during the current term of office – the others were the regeneration of the urbanisations, and the third was planting 2,500 trees around the town and surrounding mountainside.
Mrs Saunders added: “The foreign residents must understand we have not forgotten about the urbanisations and we are still waiting for the money to come through from the government. I believe it will be available in the next six weeks or so.
“We already have the project ready with all the blackspots in the urbanisations identified which urgently need asphalting.”