The halted work on Calle Nueva is raising blisters on the Town Hall’s complaints desk as locals lose patience. The Calle Nueva belongs to the centro histórico of Salobreña, containing many businesses that are being adversely affected by the road works, especially since any signs of activity have disappeared since May.
The problem is that the building company that was awarded the project, Garasa Esñeco, went bust in August. The project is financed by the Central Government’s Plan E, which is an emergency measure to stimulate the economy on a municipal level.
In the meantime, neighbours have to struggle around building rubble, holes and bewildered tourists – not cool.
The chief opposition party, the PSOE, has snatched up the damsel-in-distress’s cause and is tilting, energetically, against the ruling, coalition council, formed by the PP and PSI. Their suggestion to the Mayor is that the contract should fall to the runner up in the job bid.
“Every day on this street, people – especially the elderly – a tripping up and falling over in their attempt to manoeuvre around ditches and piles of rubble, which the PP/PSI’s lack of interest has converted Calle Nueva into,” intoned the PSOE Spokesperson.
So what is the Council’s response, you ask? Pérez Cobos, ex-PSOE and now a councillor for the Partido Socialista Independiente (whose change of allegiance handed the municipal council to the PP) announced on the 17th of November that work would recommence with 15 days; in other words, the 2nd of December.
He claimed that the building company’s going into receivership has caused an administrative headache, which is on the point of being solved.
“I personally explained [to those affected] about the lamentable circumstances of the situation,” said Sr. Pérez Cobos, who landed himself the job of Vice-Mayor and the succulent post of Councillor for Urban Planning in exchange for supporting the PP candidate for Mayor, Jesus Avelino Menéndez. He also explained that from the very moment that they received notice from the stricken company concerning their inability to carry out the project, they have been in contact with substitute companies, namely Hermanos García of Motril.
Finally, he likened the PSOE – his hitherto comrades – of being vultures, ready to swoop down on any opportunity that arises and at being completely unconcerned if their actions merely increases the discomfort of those affected.