The Socialist Municipal Group in the City of Arona has submitted a proposal for discussion in the upcoming municipal plenary. Its aim is to encourage a process of public engagement regarding the future of the Port of Christians.
Additionally, it seeks to reinforce the institutional commitment to the regeneration projects of Tarajales beach and the underground access to and from the urban area.
The initiative is rooted in the belief that decisions which significantly impact the social, economic, and environmental growth of the municipality should incorporate the “direct opinion of their residents,” as emphasised by the PSOE in a statement.
In this regard, the socialists from Arona assert that “genuine, open, and diverse” public participation is an “essential” instrument for bolstering local democracy and “establishing lasting consensus.”
Therefore, the PSOE suggests that a citizen consultation process be initiated in alignment with the City Council’s Citizen Participation Regulations, allowing the public to express their suggestions, concerns, and priorities concerning the port’s model, coastal usage, and sustainable development of the area.
The Socialists recall that the regeneration project for Tarajales Beach received approval during the municipal plenary in October 2021, further reinforced by the signing of an inter-administrative agreement between the City of Arona and the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco) in 2022.
This agreement facilitated the inclusion of a state investment of 2 million euros, allocated in the General State Budgets, following an amendment proposed by the New Canary Islands group in the Congress of Deputies.
Furthermore, the project includes plans for the environmental restoration of the coastline, its accessibility for public use, and the preservation of natural habitats, such as the Guaza Mountain natural monument and the Sebadal Zec of San Andrés.
Alongside this initiative, the socialists note that the underground access roads to Christians remain another shared priority.
They indicate that this infrastructure would help to “ease the traffic congestion” experienced daily by the tourist area and the port, one of the busiest in the Canary Islands.
In this context, the Government of Spain has allocated 5 million euros, which have been transferred to the Canary Islands government, to move forward with the technical planning of a structural solution.
Comprehensive Vision for the Territory
For the PSOE in Arona, any decisions regarding the port’s expansion must be considered within a comprehensive vision of the territory and strive for the highest level of social consensus.
In this sense, it asserts that the citizen consultation represents a “legitimate and necessary” avenue for hearing the voices of the residents of Christians and for collectively envisaging the future of the tourist area in a way that respects their identity, landscape, and environmental values.
“Public participation is vital for establishing a fairer and more democratic municipality. The future of Christians must be shaped by its people. This is a collective project, not merely for a few. We cannot make significant decisions without first consulting the residents who live there day by day,” stated spokesperson José Julián Mena.
