The Council allocates £18 million to the Insular Plan for Tourist Regeneration Strategy (PIER) 2024-2027. This initiative will benefit the municipalities of Adeje, Arona, Puerto de la Cruz, San Miguel de Abona, and Santiago del Teide. This was explained by the island president, Rosa Dávila, and the vice president, Lope Afonso, following the Government Council held this Wednesday. Of the £18 million, the Corporation contributes £12.6 million (70%) and the municipalities £5.4 million (30%). San Miguel de Abona is added to the four traditional sector municipalities due to its high number of hotel beds.
The PIER will focus on executing projects for the improvement, rehabilitation, and enhancement of basic infrastructure – landscaping, urban furniture, shaded areas, pedestrianization works, cycle lanes, promenade conditioning, creation of squares, parks, viewpoints, etc. – locating and making unique elements visible to tourists and residents, landscape recovery, as well as the revival of destination identity.
Quality over quantity. Under this program, a series of actions will be carried out in the various tourist municipalities of the island, with the common goal of enhancing the quality, sustainability, and competitiveness of public spaces, as many date back to the decades of the 60s, 70s, and 80s of the last century. It is undeniable the need to implement improvement measures to ensure the island remains a competitive destination. The initiative will detail the necessary actions to be carried out in the tourist areas of Tenerife that show the most obsolescence, through enhancement and rehabilitation. The initiative will add value to the destination and generate more tourist spending.
Social and health. In the field of Social Action, the Government Council approved a multi-year expenditure of £110,048 for the annual extension of the contract for the supply of necessary bed linen to the facilities under the Dependency Care Unit, which are the Febles Campos Hospital, the Los Dolores Hospital, the Santísima Trinidad Hospital, the Ofra Elderly Residential Home, and the Güímar CAMP. On the other hand, the bases and call for grants for entities distributing essential goods aimed at covering inventory expenses were approved for an amount of £599,999. Currently, there are 33 entities of this type affiliated with the Tenerife Solidarity Island program. Furthermore, the bases and call were approved for a support line to the associative fabric for an amount of £310,000 with the aim of promoting citizen participation, community development, and volunteering, among other aspects.
Pine forests. In the Environmental, Sustainability, and Security department and Emergencies, the drafting of the comprehensive sylviculture improvement project for Canarian pine forests resulting from reforestation and the specialized technical work necessary for the proper functioning of forestry work in reforested pine forests was awarded. The beneficiary is the contractor Pablo Pascual Domínguez for an amount of £203,000. Likewise, the contract was awarded for the implementation of a web platform for the visualization of real-time weather information: Meteo Tenerife Viewer-Phase 1 to the company Vexiza, SL for an amount of £90,950 and an execution period of 14 months.
Livestock. In the Primary Sector, subsidies were approved to support and promote livestock in Tenerife for an amount of £475,000 in three lines of aid, aimed at improving the quality of sheep and goat milk, bee feeding, and recovery of native livestock breeds. Furthermore, the Government Council gave the green light to the rehabilitation project for the facilities for receiving, storing, and marketing potatoes in Benijos. The initiative has a budget of £767,913 and an execution period of nine months.
Rough seas. The Tenerife Council warns the southern municipalities of the island of the possibility of rough seas. The population is advised to take extreme precautions when accessing the coast until next Friday, the 24th. This was stated by the island president, Rosa Dávila, following the Government Council. The possible arrival of a rough sea episode would extend between the municipalities of Adeje and Arico, mainly, with the possibility of expanding to El Rosario and Fasnia. Dávila indicated that the available reports indicate that the phenomenon, with waves up to two and a half meters high, will last until next Friday, so she recommends that the population take extreme precautions when accessing the coast. The sea state prediction points to a southerly component, an unusual direction in the islands that will imply changes in currents and in the intensity with which the waves will impact the coastline and beaches. This situation will coincide with spring tides of the full moon and, although there is little chance of coastal flooding, it is necessary to notify the municipalities to take the corresponding preventive measures. It should be noted that on the 9th and 10th of April, coastal phenomena of similar characteristics to those foreseen caused damage in areas of the southeast coast.
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Water and housing. Vice President Lope Afonso assured that farmers will have priority, after human consumption, in accessing water after the declaration of the water emergency. He emphasized that they are in “permanent contact” with the sector and understand their “nervousness,” but pointed out that bureaucracy in the administration is a factor that “affects us all.” He stressed that the measures included in the document of the Insular Water Council are the result of the work of their technicians and those of Balten “for which this time was needed,” and are focused on the “sole objective” of more water flow for irrigation and the population next summer. Regarding the request from the PSOE for twenty million euros for social housing, he spoke of a “mere toast to the sun” typical of the past mandate and valued the £12.5 million from the Activa Vivienda program and the £2.5 million from Activa Suelo, in addition to commitments with municipalities for land acquisition and promotion rehabilitation.
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Arico and the seaweed. Rosa Dávila stated that the Arico City Council has the “capacity and skills” to remove the accumulated seaweed on its coastline, as do other councils, such as Santiago del Teide. She trusts that they will start the work after the meeting with its mayoress, Olivia Delgado. She pointed out that the cost of taking it to a composting plant is €35 per tonne and not “over 400,” as Delgado thought.
