A number of local charities and clubs including HELP at Home CB; HELP Vega Baja, U3A, OC Community Care, The Royal British Legion, Caritas and others, attended a meeting at the Playa Flamenca Town hall on Tuesday where the Councillor for Foreign Residents, Sofia Alvarez, announced the establishment of a new residents group.
Comprising of representatives drawn from many of the nationalities that form the Orihuela Costa, the group will consist of approximately 20 members and will meet in the town hall on the first Thursday of every month.
It is hoped that members of the group will be able to better communicate the requirements and preferences of their individual peoples to the municipal authorities.
The councillor explained that residents have to be involved in local political life, wherever they might live. Their political allegiance and who they vote for is not important but if the Orihuela Costa is to attract the services and the utilities to which its citizens are entitled there must be better representation from those who live permanently in the area.
Alvarez said that she was delighted that an additional 1200 people had signed onto the municipal register (padron) in the last few weeks, and that in itself would draw additional funding, but she added that there are still many thousands of people who reside in the area who have yet to register and she would launching further efforts to publicise her efforts in the coming weeks.
She explained that approximately 2,000 people, the current residency of which is unclear, will shortly be receiving letters from the Town Hall asking that they declare their present situation. These will be distributed and subsequently collected by a private company and will, hopefully, help to further increase the number of residents listed on the municipal register.
She said that she would be delighted to talk to groups, clubs and community organisations where she can explain the importance of residents entering into community life. She also mentioned the importance of all residents voting in next year’s Municipal Elections.
With that in mind a further council initiative will see the introduction of quarterly public meetings at the Orihuela Costa Resort where speakers of all political party’s will be invited to introduce their policies and their manifesto’s to residents.
She reiterated that the meetings will be open to all members of the public and to all political parties that wish to take part.
