“No disruption” for
Brits after Brexit
Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis says
the lives of Britons living in Spain will
continue as usual after the UK quits the
EU. Speaking on BBC television last
month, he said that he hoped a deal
would be reached, but that, if not,
ordinary people from the UK would
not have a bad time.
“If there is no deal, we will make sure
that the lives of ordinary people who
are in Spain, the UK people, are not
disrupted,” Sr Dastis said. “As you
know, the relationship between the UK
and Spain is a very close one in terms
of economic relations and also social
exchanges.
“Over 17 million Brits come to Spain
every year and many of them live
here or retire here and we want to
keep it that way as much as
possible,” he added, although he did
not explain what steps Spain might
take to ensure that happens.
The number of Britons living in Spain
is given as almost 309,000, although
many more are believed to be resident
but have failed to register with their
town halls. About a third are
pensioners, according to the UK’s
Office for National Statistics, and they
are particularly concerned about
British support for their health care
cover after Brexit.
Sr Dastis was also quizzed about the
ongoing crisis in Cataluña and
insisted that “in no way” was there
“brutal” police action on October 1,
the day of the illegal referendum, and
that officers had acted “in accordance
with their legal mandate.” He said
there had been a large amount of
“alternative facts and fake news,”
adding that the police were provoked
into action.
New Nerja dump angers
local residents
People living near Nerja’s industrial
estate have been angered by the town
hall’s decision to designate an area
close to their homes for the dumping
of construction and demolition waste.
The proposal is presently awaiting
authorisation from the Junta de
Andalucía.
Residents of around 300 properties in
and around the La Noria, Pueblo Rocío
and Jardines de La Noria urbanisations
say they have been asking for
explanations for the decision. They
claim it will affect safety in the area
because of the passage of heavy
vehicles, as well as causing noise
nuisance and say that the presence of
suspended particles will affect air
quality.
The Planning Department at the
town hall has reportedly responded
by saying that the area chosen for the
dump is within the limits of the
Castillo Alto industrial estate. It is
apparently planned to store waste
there temporarily until it can be
transferred for disposal by an
Caterpillar campaign
authorised agent, the closest of which
is 50 kilometres away in Canillas de
Aceituno.
Mayor Rosa Arrabal says the 1,600
square metre site is necessary following
the closure of an illegal dump at Rio de
la Miel, which has been used for 18
years. She explained that this led to a
huge rise in uncontrolled dumping of
waste and debris on empty plots and in
riverbeds.
Meanwhile, the judge investigating the
illegal use of the Rio de la Miel site has
summoned 34 people to be questioned
during November. They include 31
business leaders from the construction
sector, plus Partido Popular councillor
José Miguel Jimena who was an
environment councillor during the PP’s
tenure at the town hall.
Also summoned are two former PP
councillors, José Alberto Tomé and
Jonathan Mendez, who held the
Planning and Infrastructure and the
Parks and Gardens portfolios
respectively.
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Rincón de la Victoria Town Hall has
announced that a campaign against
processionary pine caterpillars will begin
in November and continue until the end
of spring. Thirty parks, schools, sports
facilities and other public places will be
treated to prevent the spread of the
insect. Contact with the caterpillar can
cause allergic reactions, rashes and
irritations in humans, and can even kill
small animals.
Caves manager
The new manager of the Foundation
which manages the Nerja Caves is Luis
Díaz who managed Málaga’s provincial
tax collection agency until July. He is an
economist with 20 years experience in
public and private administration, and
previously managed the Caves between
1999 and 2006. Díaz replaces Carlos
García who resigned earlier this year.
Road upgrade
A €340,000 project to upgrade the inland
road between Torrox and Frigiliana has
been given the go-ahead. It was listed in
the Official Bulletin of the province of
Málaga on Friday. The MA-5105 between
the two towns is of importance to
numerous properties along its 18
kilometres but has been in a state of near
abandonment for several years.
Video trap
A Bulgarian man was ordered to be held
in prison last month after a Granada court
heard he was caught on video abusing his
11-year-old daughter. The girl’s mother
left the video function on her phone
running when she went out and captured
the images. After he was detained, she
told police she that suspected there had
been abuse over the last three years.
Bird theft
Four people have been sentenced for
accessing an eagle’s nest and taking away
two chicks. At a court hearing in Málaga,
they all accepted the prosecutor’s demand
that each should be handed a four month
prison sentence. Each was also banned
from participating in hunting or fishing
for a period of two years.