Afonso explained in a marathon session –eight hours– the administrative steps that are taken together with the local and regional administrations «to carry out a project that is absolutely necessary in the social and economic development of the area and the improvement of the quality of life of his neighbors”.
The island director considers it relevant that upon arrival at the Corporation, the technicians will communicate the impossibility of carrying out the project within the established deadlines, since the planning of the actions to be carried out from the urban point of view would require the involvement of the two administrations in whose municipal area the land is located and any action would exceed, by far, the term established to execute the strategy –initially, December 2022, and, after the extension given by the Treasury in December 2023–, estimated to be a time period that exceeds six years.
The island government urges the Santa Cruz Town Hall –To which 60% of the environment belongs– to respond to the request sent in June to adhere to the action protocol that determines the management commitments around the project. Yes, La Laguna has already answered. Afonso regrets that “in 2016, without a prior analysis, the Canary Islands Coalition, which governed the Cabildo, requested 2.6 million European funds to finance a project in which only the acquisition of private land costs ten times more,” according to Gestur’s evaluation.
The island director appeared after two postponements to assess the status of implementation and the forecasts of the Integrated Strategy for Sustainable Urban Development (EDUSI). Afonso highlights the interest shown by the Lagunero mayor “for whom this project is a priority.” He regrets that the one from Santa Cruz has not yet expressed his will, so he invites him “to take the steps to sign the commitment within the scope of his expropriation powers and urban discipline.”
Afonso highlights that Carreteras del Canary Islands Government promotes the actions of this protocol, such as the tender for works on the Ofra-El Chorrillo highway, «So that, finally, the bridge that leads nowhere and passes through the TF-5, connects with the roundabout above the Hospital de La Candelaria».
The Taco Mountain regeneration project to create an urban park was included in the European EDUSI strategy in 2016. “Upon the arrival of the current government team to the Cabildo, explains Afonso, in July 2019, a letter was received from the Ministry of the Treasury informing of the null execution of the aforementioned strategy “. That document warned “of the breach of the commitment to carry out 30 percent of the actions, which should have been carried out by December 31, 2019.”
Afonso adds that in the proposal to obtain European financing “it was indicated that the municipalities of Santa Cruz and La Laguna shared the ownership of the land on which they had to act.” However, he adds, “Gestur establishes that most of the plots were private and only the amount of land and buildings to carry out the action would exceed 22 million euros.” Remember that “the rehabilitation of the Montaña de Taco had a financing of 2.6 million.”
The island director has revealed the ccommitment of the Cabildo for this project to be carried out. He has also listed other projects included in the EDUSI such as the regeneration of the Barranco del Muerto or the 18 parks of the Southwest.
The counselor of CC, Blanca Pérez, criticized in the debate the paralysis of the projects contemplated in the Edusi, which “harms thousands of residents of Santa Cruz and La Laguna.” He accuses the PSOE of having lost the 5.5 million euros of European funds provided to carry out the rehabilitation due to “the inaction of the government group.” And he values that “Afonso has recognized him today (yesterday).”
Pérez points out: “He has tried to divert the issue with data that do not conform to reality, but the truth is that the Cabildo has not moved a single role.” The CC-PNC counselor has also denounced the delay in the rest of the Edusi projects – the total amount is 18 million euros – and concludes: “They have put the projects in the drawers during these two years.”
Blanca Pérez played a leading role during the long session in several discussions with the Minister of Ecological Transition, Javier Rodríguez Medina. On the Hydrological Plan or climate change. CC saw its proposals on the port and the urban fabric of Los Cristianos rejected, as well as an injection of five million for housing. The aforementioned Rodríguez Medina saw how the favorable vote of Sí Podemos Canarias allowed the approval of the PP’s motion on the creation of an Insular Water Ring that the PSOE counselor insists that “already exists.”
Support for agricultural biodiversity for the socialist proposal was approved with the votes against the opposition and Sí Podemos Canarias withdrew after an hour of debate its motion to develop an island strategy against climate change. The rifirafes were not lacking, yesterday moderate and with female protagonism. Carmen Delia Alberto or Verónica Meseguer (CC) versus Concepción Rivero (Cs); or María José Belda (SPC) with Zaida González (PP).
Gerardo Armas was introduced as the new auditor after the retirement of Antonio Messía. The Regulation of Telecommuting it was approved initially and Antonio Bello Pérez was elected Favorite Son of Tenerife posthumously. The end of the session was chaired by vice president Enrique Arriaga because the president, Pedro Martín, had to leave the plenary hall “for family health reasons.”
Better communication of emergencies to deaf people
The only institutional motion approved yesterday arrived at the last minute and off the agenda. Political groups have unanimously supported that “the Cabildo urges the Government of the Canary Islands to improve communication in emergencies for deaf people.” It has done so at the proposal of the Federation of Associations of Deaf People of the Canary Islands (FASICAN), which claims to “avoid the inequality to which this group is subjected to stay informed in situations such as those generated by the volcanic eruption of La Palma ». Among the points made, it is included «to urge the Government of the Canary Islands to make an inclusive programming in the public media with quality subtitles in all the programs of the Autonomous Television of the Canary Islands (RTVC) 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. anus”. Similarly, the regional executive is urged, among other points, to «increase interpretation in Spanish Sign Language in the most relevant and / or interesting programming (…). Do not relegate the interpretation exclusively to the press conferences of the authorities since the information regarding the volcano is constantly changing ». The president of Fasican, Kevin Danilo Pérez, thanked the Minister of Social Action, Marián Franquet, and all the island groups “who take this motion as their own because deaf people on La Palma are having a really bad time.”
