- Take Control of the Coast
The residents of Orihuela Costa have suffered from an appalling lack of services by the Previous councils for far too long compared to all other local towns. This cannot be blamed on population size as the Costa has a population far greater than most and in roughly seven years will be twice the size of old orihuela and many of the villages that have full control of their own administrative affairs.
It is difficult to see how a city at 30 kilometres distance, separated by countryside and several independent towns, can lay administrative claims on the coastal area. Surely a district with a population exceeding 33,227 is of sufficient size to have its own municipal council and elect councillors who actually live in the area to that council who can truly represent the residents of the area they live in with its own Mayor
It’s amazing that towns and villages of much smaller size have control of their administrative affairs. Just a few kilometres from Orihuela Costa, the town of Pilar de la Horadada with a population of approximately 25,000 gained independence from the strangle hold of Orihuela in 1986. Since that time this town has thrived and the amenities available to the residents have really grown.
Money raised from the area is actually spent on the residents contributing to the municipal income. There is no comparison between the public amenities in Pilar de la Horadada and Orihuela Costa, the former is a well resourced thriving area, the latter is a cash cow for the benefit of the well subsidised inhabitants of a location 30 kilometres away.
San Miguel del Salinas, population approximately 8,000; Los Montesinos, population 5,500; Dolores, population 7,300; Catral, population 8,600, are all self-governing and self-determining, independent administrative areas.
It is only the residents of Orihuela Costa who can empower themselves, who can provide the development and advancement of their own locality, otherwise they will continue to receive litte more than the scraps off the Orihuela table. Independence for Orihuela Costa is the only real way forward. This is the only way that will ensure that services and amenities appropriate to the size of the population are provided.
For too long the Costa has been marginalised, neglected and raided for the benefit of Orihuela. It is now time that the residents gain the services that they have been desperately waiting for. At the very least the coast must have an appropriate number of councillors from the area.
With present population statistics a minimum of 8 councillors should actually be serving on the Orihuela Council from the coastal region, in the last election out of a possible 7,000 registered voters only 2,400 actually turned out, we have just over 3 years to work and prepare for the next elections
