The First Councillor of Carchuna-Calahonda is not a happy bunny over Torrenueva’s independence, or better said, her lack of it for her townships.

Sra. Concepción Abarca, who heads the local council for this semi-independent entity, points out that Carchuna-Calahonda have been working towards independence for a long time, but to no avail, while Torrenueva has been successful. She adds that she is happy for the Torrenueveños, of course.

“Motril Town Council always told us that if Torrenueva gets its independence, so would we, but look at us now,” she complained.

She also pointed out that Carchuna-Calahonda started the paperwork for independence in 2010 but Motril always seemed to put a spanner in the works; first it was because a economic viability study had to be drawn up, and then it was because the distance between the metropolis and Carchuna was insufficient. Carchuna-Calahonda did its homework and demonstrated that neither was a problem, she says.

Then Motril said that if the Junta Advisory Board didn’t give a positive response, then they couldn’t grant independence, and the board didn’t; not for Carchuna-Calahondanor Torrenueva, “But look what’s happened,” she complained.

The old argument for any municipal dependency that seeks independence is that the local taxes would be spent locally, instead of going to the metropolis with only some of it coming back. Sra. Concepción Abarca points to this reason for wanting independence.

Editorial comment: how can Torrenueva Costa gain independence from Motril but Carchuna-Calahonda not, if Torrenueva physically lies between Motril and Carchuna? What sense does it make that Motril governs a town the other side of a neighbouring municipality? Having said that, each new municipality means more public expense going on doubling up administrations.

(News: Carchuna-Calahonda, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)