Almería – Poniente Hospital Gets 8.4 Million euros

The Junta de Andalucía is investing 8.4 million € in extending the Poniente Hospital in Almería, in a building project which they say will start in the final quarter of the year. The project has been designed to meet the needs of the increasing population which the centre serves, forecast to be up to 270,000 by 2010.

It includes a new in-patients area, with 36 rooms which can be used as either singles or doubles as needs dictate: that will give the hospital a total of 344 beds, up from the current 272. There will also be two new operating theatres, bringing the total up to eight, and increased facilities on the labour ward.

Work already began at the start of the year on a 25% increase to the area of the hospital’s casualty department.

Coín – Bypass Revealed

Coín's future northern bypass project was officially presented last week, and the Junta de Andalucía's Public Works councillor, José María Ruiz Povedano, revealed that the new road should reduce the amount of traffic in the town by 4,500 vehicles a day. The bypass will run from the A-355 Cártama road to the A-366 Alozaina road, and should take eighteen months to complete. The roundabout where the A-355 and the Monda bypass converge will be eradicated, and an overpass will be built at the same point.

Almería – New Access Road

The President of the Junta de Andalucía, Manuel Chaves, was in Almería on Wednesday to open the first part of a new access motorway from the A-7. The new motorway, once complete, will allow drivers to reach the A7 from Roquetas de Mar in just 20 minutes.

So far, only 2.3 kilometres are completed, as far as the Carretera de Las Losas. Work should begin on the remaining 7 kilometres once Roquetas Town Hall has ceded the land to the regional government.

Alhaurín de la Torre – Building Continues Despite Suspension

Work is continuing on a house in El Lagar urbanisation of Alhaurín de la Torre despite a suspension order being issued on the project on the 24th April. So claims a group of local residents, who have posted two short videos on a website to show that workers appear to be constructing another storey on the property. They insist that the videos were filmed after the suspension order was issued. The residents say the construction affects at least eight local families, and they also claim that the manner in which the work is being carried out does not comply with safety regulations.

Benalmadena – Bus Route Changed

One of Benalmádena’s urban bus routes has been changed, as people did not seem to be using it. The ‘circular line’ between Benalmádena village and the port will now stop at several urbanisations including Doña María on the ‘Ronda del Golf’. The urban bus service began operating earlier this year with the town hall monitoring the routes to see whether they should be modified.

San Pedro – Two Building Projects Sealed Off

The Marbella Management Committee has sealed off two building projects in San Pedro de Alcántara, and invalidated the building licences previously granted by Marbella Town Hall. The projects affected are El Señorío de Guadalmina, promoted by Osuna estate agents, and Jardines de la Costa. They had both been earlier denounced by the environmental association Ecologistas en Acción and San Pedro Residents Association. The first consists of 125 homes, business premises and garages. Rafael Duarte, town planning spokesman on the Committee, says the land is classified as suitable for development, but that the project exceeds building limits by up to 400%. The project for 60 homes in Jardines de la Costa, he says, is planned on land set aside for parks and gardens.

Nerja – Residents Protest

Residents of the Pueblo Rocío Urbanisation in Nerja are holding a demonstration at the Town Hall on Tuesday morning, in a second protest organised against the invoices they have received from the Council for infrastructure costs. There is also a charge for the Cañada Real -or livestock track - which is said to run through 20 of the houses. The charges for each property go from 7,000 to 44,000 € according to the urbanisation’s president, Harry Higgs. Higgs says the residents understood that the builder had paid the guarantee and ceded adjacent land in compensation at the time the houses were built, but, he says, ‘the Town Hall claim they have lost the files.’ Newspaper reports say that there is no supporting documentation at the Town Hall for the urbanisation’s ‘plan parcial’ - plan of building plots - or its detailed building study, and that these charges relate to legalising the situation. The residents say they are prepared to take the matter to the courts, and even to the Prime Minister, if necessary.

Marbella – Transfer of Town Planning Control

The money which comes into the Marbella Ayuntamiento, from the building licences granted during the time when the control of the department is handed over to the regional government in Seville, will be handed over to the Cámara de Cuentas. That’s the idea following the latest meetings in the Junta de Andalucía, and it means that in any case the Town Hall will not see any such monies until a new PGOU Urban Plan is approved. The transfer of control of town planning to the Junta is expected to be authorised by the regional parliament in Seville this week.

Oasis de la Cala de Mijas – New Release

Oasis de la Cala de Mijas is an exclusive secure development of 126 apartments in the privileged small village of La Cala de Mijas, ten minutes from Fuengirola, twenty minutes from Marbella and twenty minutes from Málaga International Airport.

A particularly attractive feature of some ground floor apartments are the private gardens ranging in size from 36m2 to a massive 505m2, with ample room on the corner units to have your own pool.

Now Block 5 is out with prices from: € 290,000.

Arenal Vistamar – New Development

Arenal Vistamar development is located in Benalmadena overlooking the sea from a 200m high vantage point. The views will take your breath away and the elegant surroundings will captivate your senses. It consists of 36 lovely apartments with communal swimming pool and green areas.

General Features:

For your added safety, a security entrance door will be fitted
In order to ensure an ideal temperature throughout the year, a central heat and cold conditioning unit will be installed
Hot water will be produced through an automatic heater
In the basement and common areas convenient presence detectors will be
installed for automatic light operation
Each flat will be fitted with a video communications system for the
main entrance
The lifts will have automatic doors and access to garages will be
restricted to owners
Prices start from: €197,370.

Payment Terms are: 6.000€ Deposit, 30 PPC and 70% on Completion.

Arenal Torresol – New Development

Arenal Torresol development is situated on a prime site in the centre of Torremolinos, and consists of 27 one bedroom apartments and 3 two bedroom apartments.

With Malaga International Airport just 10 minutes away, the centre of Malaga 15 minutes, the bus and train stations 3 minutes and offering easy access to the main motorway, the complex is in an excellent situation.

General Features:

Solid wood entrance door
Air conditioning throughout
Automatic lighting in communal areas
PVC double glazed windows with security blinds
Video entry system for main entrance
Private garages with automatic doors
Kitchen fully equipped with electrical appliances
Granite work tops
Porcelain tiled flooring throughout
Marble floors in common areas and stairways
Bathrooms with white ceramic toilet ware and marble worktop for fitted basin
Prices start from: €162,876.

Payment Terms are: 6.000€ Deposit, 30 PPC and 70% on Completion.

Malaga – 86 Million Euros On Roads

The Junta de Andalucía is investing 86 million euros in the road network in Málaga province this year, in what the provincial representative for the public works department, José María Ruiz Povedano, described as ‘preventative maintenance.’
It includes resurfacing of some 50 kilometres of the A92 in the north of the province, plus another 10 kilometres of the motorway in Seville province.

More than half the money is taken up with projects already underway; the remainder is for work which will start in the second half of the year, and includes 27 million € on resurfacing, 2 million € on improving road safety, and 13 million on repairs, cleaning and clearing overgrown verges.

Adra – Gets First Commercial Centre

The town of Adra could get its first commercial and leisure centre, according to reports. They said that the two-floor, 2,500 square metre centre, would be built in the area of La Curva, near the new urbanisation Nueva Andalucía, which is currently under construction.

Building work, they say, could begin in a few months’ time, should permission granted by the local Town Hall.

Manilva – Former Mayor Defends His Actions

The PSOE party in Manilva has announced its intention to report a property agreement made by a former mayor five years ago to the Anticorruption authorities. The matter came to light at a council meeting last week when it was agreed that a property developer who bought municipal land at Aldea Hills in 2001 was to give the council a 20,000 square metre plot beside the football ground in Manilva so local authority housing could be built on it. This is in exchange for the purchase of three council-owned plots totalling approximately 20,000 square metres in 2001, at a cost of 1.2 million euros. According to the PSOE, this land, which was originally meant to have been used for local authority housing, was sold on for 18 million euros, and the council did not receive any benefit from the resale. More than 200 homes have now been built on the site, but at the recent council meeting the former mayor who signed the contract for the sale of the land, Emilio López Berenguer, insisted that he was not responsible for the granting of the construction licences.

Carboneras – Building Work Halted On Hotel

The judge, who issued a court order several months ago to halt building work on the controversial El Algarrobico Hotel in Carboneras, has stopped two other building projects.

Judge Jesús Rivera has ruled against the planning permission granted by the town hall in Cuevas del Almanzora to build 267 new homes. The appeals were presented by the Junta de Andalucia’s public works department in Almeria province, on the grounds that the permission was granted for land which is not suitable for development.

Both building licences were granted last year.

Marbella – ABTA Annual Convention

The annual convention of ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) will return to Marbella after eight years. Between the 27 and November 29, more than 1800 delegates will meet on the coast.

The Councillor of Tourism emphasized the immediate impact on the destination with an increase in visitors after a large event.

The 2006 event is the 53rd ABTA Travel Convention, and the second to be held in Marbella. The previous Convention there was in November 1998 and attracted just over 2500 delegates.

Alhaurín el Grande – Barranco Blanco Go-Ahead

Alhaurín el Grande Town Hall has given the go-ahead of a development in the area of Barranco Blanco of 1.5 million square metres. According to the town hall this project “has been paralysed for over 30 years.” Plans call for the construction 1,500 homes on the site, meaning a density of 10 homes per hectare. Municipal officials say the project “will get underway shortly.”

Spain - Tourist Boom Expected!

Spain is expected to enjoy a boom in popularity this summer as British holidaymakers turn their back on its Mediterranean rivals.

Over the past three years, travel companies have reported a decline in bookings to Spain in favour of cheaper destinations such as Greece and Turkey. But that trend has now been reversed, with more Britons creating their own holidays in Spain using no-frills flights and accommodation booked over the internet. In previous years, most visitors to Spain were families ticking to the familiar destinations of Majorca, Menorca, Costa Brava and Costa Blanca, but visitors are also now venturing further afield, to areas such as the Costa de la Luz and Costa Calida.

There has also been an increase in couples booking city breaks, with Seville, Madrid and Barcelona the most popular destinations. Manny Fontenla-Novoa, chief executive of Thomas Cook, said: "Spanish hoteliers have dropped prices and improved standards, which has made a big difference. And just about every no-frills carrier goes to Spain, which makes it easier for people to build their own holidays."

A spokesman for Thomson agreed: "People see Spain as a safe destination and are comfortable booking their own trips. There are now so many flights there that the prices are very competitive. “The latest statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority show that in the fourth quarter of 2005 three million Britons visited Spain, compared with 2.9 million in the same period the previous year. The number of holidaymakers heading to Spain this summer is expected to surpass the five million who visited in 2005.

Meanwhile, holidaymakers are likely to enjoy bargains to Turkey, Greece and Egypt due to a fall in popularity. Tourists have been put off by scares over bird flu in Turkey and bombs in Egypt.

"Sales to Turkey are around 28 per cent down," said Mr Fontenla-Novoa. "It has been hit by bird flu, but it has also dropped out of fashion, partly because it is no longer much

cheaper than Spain. As for Egypt, there was a huge fall in bookings following the recent bombing in Dahab and I'm not sure the destination could withstand another act of terrorism. Companies will have to lower prices to encourage people back."

Costa del Sol - Time Share Fraud Gang Arrested

The National Police have broken up a gang operating on the Costa del Sol that is said to be the major group dedicated to a massive fraud revolving around the re-sale of time-share properties. It is estimated that 15,000 people have been caught out by the gang; the majority of them British, and the criminals have succeeded in taking around 18 million euros.

The gang is said to have operated in Málaga Province for the past six years. Over that period that have used more than 300 companies and employed over a thousand people. In the police operation code named 'Trafalgar' eight people were arrested from the UK, South Africa, Belgium and Norway. They were arrested in Fuengirola, Mijas and Coin and after appearing before the courts were released on bail.

The fraudsters are accused of using every known method to extract money from their victims in the time-share resale sector. They indicated to the property owners that they had a party interested in purchasing their share but needed funds for the legal process. They also offered time-share packages to would-be buyers when they had nothing to sell them and allegedly used fake documentation to make it appear they were legally authorised to fight time-share fraud on behalf of people who had been cheated by other companies. All the contacts were carried out by telesales staff.

Marbella - Finances Bad, Feria Good!

Marbella Town Hall's finances are in such a deplorable state that the committee managing municipal matters until next year's local elections say that 100 million euros are needed to keep it afloat, but the annual fair will go ahead as usual this week and the committee member in charge of festivals, Baldomero León, says the decision to hold the fair was taken because local people should not have to suffer as a result of what has been happening at the town hall.

Marbella council was dissolved a few weeks ago as a result of police anti-corruption operation 'Malaya', and 15 years of administration by the GIL party has left the town hall in severe debt. The management committee hopes to receive financial aid from the Junta de Andalucía and the provincial government and is considering increasing some taxes to try to produce more income, although this has not yet been decided. Carlos Rubio, who is handling municipal economy and taxation matters, said last week that IBI and car tax could go up, as could the fee for rubbish collection, although no definite decision has yet been made about the matter. He also indicated that if such increases are imposed, they would not come into effect until next year.

Marbella – New Licences Granted

The Marbella Board has granted its first planning permission licenses since it took over the running of the Town Hall. The meeting on Tuesday approved seven planning applications, turned down 26 and left on the table another two pending further information. The Board has a backlog of one thousand planning applications to get through, some of them from 2001. The same meeting has approved requesting the Junta de Andalucía to return town planning responsibility to the Town Hall after the local elections are held in May next year. The motion was presented by the Partido Popular spokespeople on the Committee, and was approved unanimously.

Olleria – 1 Unit Left

Olleria - Please be advised that there is only 1 unit left on this development. This promotion is located in the centre of Malaga city, and consists of 6 apartments of 1 bedroom with air conditioning, alarm, and video entry.


Price of the apartment is €235,000.

Los Patios de San Agustin – New Development

Los Patios de San Agustin new development is located in Almeria and consists of 191 lovely apartments and penthouses with choices of one, two and three bedrooms from 57 m2 to 82 m2 built.

This development is a stylish project that borrows, combines and develops the most attractive elements of traditional Mediterranean and modern architecture.

The project is perfectly integrated into its setting, on the tree-lined avenue that runs trough the village of San Agustin.

The apartments themselves are set in landscaped gardens with two large swimming pools for resident’s use.

Prices start from €137,000.

Payment Terms are: 3.000€ Deposit, 30% PPC, and 70% on Completion.

El Palmeral – New Development

El Palmeral new development is located in Villamartin, Orihuela Costa, only 10 minutes from the beach and 3 kilometres from Torrevieja. It consists of 27 lovely detached villas which include 3 beds and 2 baths, solarium, own private parking port, and communal pool. This development has spectacular sea views.

Prices start from €220,000.

Payment Terms are: 3.000€ Deposit, 40% During Construction, and 60% on Completion.