Since PIOC announced their intention to work for the independence of the coast, there has been growing support for Orihuela Costa to break free from Orihuela. This is due to the perception amongst the population of Costa Campoamor as a whole, that they are being unfairly treated by the local government.
For example, the Orihuela Costa’s share in the 2010-2014 municipal budget was 6 x less than that for the city itself, or 4,2% of the €295 million budget, even though the Costa creates around 49% municipal tax income.
The municipality has a total population of roughly 92,000 inhabitants (which is decreasing by 200 a year except the coast) of which the city of Orihuela only accounts for around 33,000 of them.
Another major locality within the municipality is the Tourist Centre of Dehesa de Campoamor, known as Orihuela Costa, located on the coast, 35 kms from Orihuela inland, It has 33,277 inhabitants and increasing by roughly 700 a Year, within 10 Years Orihuela Costa will be as big as the rest of Orihuela combined, so the balance of power is moving in our direction.
Only 59.6% of the local population are Spanish; the British account for almost 20%, followed by the Irish, then other nationalities. In total there 101 different Nationalities living in Orihuela Costa, including 1 Mongolian and 3 Eskimos, a very diverse population where integration of everyone who chose their dream home to live in Orihuela Costa is slowly becoming a reality, especially as the building boom has returned to the coastal areas.
More northern EU nationals are arriving with families who need more services and infrastructure. They too want Independence for the coast, not to be ruled by a Government 34 kms away.
Sunday 28th May 2023 is a date to keep in your diary, that is when the next possible municipal elections are held, so we have 18 Months to make sure that any resident who wants to contribute to the future of the coast by exercising their right to be on the voting register.
18 months of planning, organising events to get our message across and slowly erase the apathy that is here on the coast, residents and businesses can no longer sit on the fence thinking this doesn’t concern them, when in fact they should be asking what can we do to help, simple speak to your friends, neighbours in the bars, restaurants, hair dressers etc and communities.
We are not English, Spanish, Irish, Belgian etc, we are all one community and that’s Costa Campoamor. Councils, political parties even individuals will try to split us by trying to confuse us by disinformation, but that is desperation talking because they are slowly seeing their stranglehold on the coast being eroded and the thought of losing 49% of their income is making them very nervous even to the point of desperation.
It’s estimated that within 7/8 years Costa Campoamor by the way means “Fields of Love”
will be twice the size of Orihuela city so we are steadily becoming a town, so all that possible revenue will eventually stay here, it will be our children and grandchildren who will see the results of what has started as a whisper and is now a loud voice which cannot be ignored.
Residents and businesses alike cannot sit on the fence any more thinking this doesn’t concern or affect them, when in fact whatever this council does or doesn’t do affects us all. At every election the number of residents eligible to vote will keep increasing and that obviously includes our children who were brought up on the Coast.
NO MORE SITTING ON THE FENCE, Orihuela Costa has the chance to forge its own destiny, but they can only do it at the ballot box and get representatives from the coast onto to the council, the more votes the more councillors it is that simple.
Press Release by PARTIDO INDEPENDENCIA ORIHUELA COSTA
