ELECTION 28M: Rosa Cardona: “Xàbia is paying the price for the lack of listening and affection”

Friday 26th May 2023
Mike Smith

The penultimate election rally for the PARTIDO POPULAR XÀBIA (PP) took place on Thursday evening in the port of Xàbia, a meeting in which the party presented many of their main proposals for the town should they win control of the town hall this Sunday 28th May.

Rosa Cardona, mayoral candidate, kicked off the rally by accusing the incumbent socialist government of failing to listen to the people and for lacking affection for the town. “Perhaps this is why the problems of lack of signage, cleanliness, lighting, spaces for residents and associations and the lack of police presence have not been solved. It seems that some think that because they have the sea next to them, the residents and the businesses here no longer need anything else”.

She added that the town had abandoned parks such as that in Calle Pedro IV which has required the urgent renovation that parents and children have been demanding for some years but remains on standby whilst others lack lighting and even playground equipment, such as that in Calle Génova. She pledged that if she take over the reins of power at the town hall, one of the first things she will do is to repair and maintain all the playgrounds and green areas of the town, including those Calle Pedro IV and Calle Génova.

Cardona also pledges that one of her other main objectives is for local business in Xàbia to “rise up a division” and this would be achieved through the creation of the Department of Entrepreneurship, SMEs and the Self-Employed which, together with ADL Technology and CREAMA, will not only help local businesses to take a step forward but also support those seeking employment by creating economic incentives for companies to hire people for certain periods of time.

She added that her objective is to remove obstacles and provide opportunities, especially to SMEs and the self-employed, to create wealth and employment. One of the ways that her government would support this would be to assist in the charges for connection to water system to alleviate the impact of a charge of around 3,000 euros faced by a business setting up in an empty premises.

She also pledged to subsidize the Construction, Installations and Works Tax (ICIO), for those who generate employment, either because they are starting for the first time in Xàbia, or because they expand the facilities of their business, together with the aid to rehabilitate and condition commercial facades, “because the quality and dedication of our local businesses must shine with all their splendour, and people must know that they can come here not only to enjoy themselves, but also to work and live“.

However, she also highlighted the problems faced by local businesses through the lack of parking and transport links with the port area and explained that the PP would propose the construction of an underground car-park in Calle Santísimo Cristo del Mar, agreed with the residents, as well as setting up a square where they can “hold events and thus continue to humanize the spaces and fill our neighborhoods with life“.

She also acknowledged the economic and commercial damage caused by the restricted movement of vehicles along the Primer Muntanyar between the port zone and the Arenal, which is aggravated by the lack of signage. She said that “during these years, nothing has been done to open Calle Génova to Arenal, and we are going to use all means to open that access. However, we all know that the natural direction of the Primer Montañar must be towards the port and this cannot wait”.

Enrique Escrivà, #2 on the PP candidate list, then referred to the lack of maintenance in many areas of the port, especially in the tourist heart of the area such as Paseo Marina Española and the lack of cleanliness and lighting across the whole municipality. He said that the PP pledge to create a 48 hour Brigade to solve these problems and “give Xàbia the best appearance 365 days a year“.

He added that his party wanted to return spaces to the residents, such as the Casa de les Pedres as well as adapting empty council premises in Calle Santísimo Cristo del Mar to provide an auxiliary OAC residents assistance office so that residents of the port area don’t have to travel up to the town to carry out administrative procedures, made particularly difficult with the poor bus service.

He also spoke about extending the duration of the seasonal services, such as the provision of sunbeds and parasols to take into account that iconic beaches such as La Grava are used by residents and tourists almost all year round. He said that it doesn’t make sense that the lifeguard service doesn’t start until June 15th and then ends on September 30th when it is commonly known that the season begins much earlier and ends much later.

Raquel Violera, #9 on the PP candidate list, spoke about the lack of support for associations and fiesta commissions because there are proposed spaces still outstanding. “We still do not have an auditorium whilst the Casa Candelaria is now a permanent scaffold, the Central Cinema paralyzed whilst a Casa del Cultura is not adapted to host all kinds of performances, and meanwhile, the associations have to meet in the bars”.

She added that, whilst they want to continue promoting Sorolla, the PP wants to continue to promote the culture that is produced in Xàbia and one of the ways that this can be achieved is by the creation of the music school for young people as well as the school for the performing arts.

In addition, they would not forget the town’s roots and would promote a ‘Ruta de la Pansa’, a guide through Islamic Xàbia, as well as promoted events such as ‘Mar de Tapas’ and speaking with the elders of the town to promote the culture and traditions that are the hallmarks of Xàbia.

Finally, one of the youngest PP candidates, José Antonio Buigues, pointed out the deficiencies that many young people find, such as the restricted opening hours of the port library “that doesn’t open until 10.00am and then closes at 1.30pm for a three hour break before re-opening in the evening”. He explained that the PP pledges to establish an uninterrupted opening schedule to provide the space and opportunity to study and learn. He added that the same problem exists with the sport facilities of the educational centres and that the PP would look at solutions to open them, especially with respect to the lack of spaces to do sport in Xàbia.

He added that his party would also provide spaces for young people in the port zone, enabling the Casa del Pescador as such as place, as well as provide the opportunity for the town to host much broader vocational training courses, including the fishing and agricultural sectors of Xàbia whilst also promoting employment campaigns such as the Use and Conservation of the Natural Environment, Tourist Assistance or Care for dependent people.