The Arona City Council’s Plenary Session has approved three crucial actions that will shape the future of the municipality by facilitating the establishment of two new educational institutions focusing on Special Education and Vocational Training, as well as transferring land for the construction of social housing.
Arona’s Mayor, Fátima Lemes, pointed out that “the progress made in recent months is starting to materialise in concrete projects within vital sectors such as education and housing. The aim is to provide our youth and their families with top-notch education without having to leave the municipality. On the housing front, we have swiftly released land for social housing that had been stagnant for almost 40 years.”
“Arona will benefit from the support, guidance, and work of GESPLAN, ensuring that the projects we undertake receive the efficiency endorsement of this organisation, which is crucial for our urban development. The measures we have approved demonstrate that the Mandate Plan of the current Government Group is coming to fruition, signifying positive changes for both the present and future of Arona,” highlighted Fátima Lemes.
The Arona City Council has initiated procedures to transfer municipal plots to the Department of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands. One plot will be utilized for the new Special Education Center (CEE) and School Residence in Parque La Reina, situated near the CEIP Parque La Reina and the IES Montaña Guaza. Another plot, located in front of the IES Ichasagua, will be handed over to build the new Los Cristianos Comprehensive Vocational Training Center (CIFP). These developments form part of the Shock Plan of the Ministry of Education, which also includes enhancements to five other educational centres in Arona.
The Councilor for Education, Héctor Reyes, stressed that “we recognise the existing educational infrastructure needs in our municipality. Addressing this demand, we believe it is essential to establish a Vocational Training Integration Center to equip our youth with the necessary skills to enter the job market. Furthermore, a Special Education Center is required to cater to students with special educational needs, furnished with all the resources, tools, and spaces to provide them with quality education and care.”
Additionally, the Plenary authorised the transfer of land for 51 social housing units in Vento and 50 in Hermano Pedro to the Canary Islands Housing Institute (ICAVI) to resolve administrative issues hindering their development, which have been delayed for 38 years. The Councilor for Housing, Juan Sebastián Roque, emphasized that the agreement reached in Thursday’s plenary session settles a longstanding obligation of the City Council towards residents who should have gained ownership of their homes years ago, allowing them to benefit from shared facilities for essential public services such as cleaning, maintenance, and electrification.”
GESPLAN
The Arona City Council’s plenary session has decided to enlist the support of the regional public entity Territorial and Environmental Management and Planning SA (GESPLAN) as the Council’s representative to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in delivering municipal services through orders and assignments related to strategic municipal areas.
The agreement, approved during Thursday’s ordinary plenary session in Arona on June 26, will enable the City Council to utilise the resources and capabilities of GESPLAN, an entity affiliated with the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Sustainability and Security of the Government of the Canary Islands, once the statutes of GESPLAN are amended to formalize this request.
As outlined by the Councilor for Urban Planning, Luis García, this initiative, which will particularly benefit the management of municipal urban planning powers and services, as well as the residents of Arona, aims to bolster the necessary human resources and capabilities to address the current workload that overwhelms key municipal areas and services due to the sustained population growth experienced over recent decades, surpassing a population of 100,000 in this municipality.
