Orihuela Costa maintains one of the largest British populations in Spain, where Britons account for one in eight of the registered population of the Orihuela municipality, with a total of 13,594 citizens on the municipal register (padrón), They are among 117 different nationalities which make up over 36% of the municipality’s 84,568 inhabitants, and although the number of Britons fell by 379 in 2020,it is now on the rise again.
So, what does that mean and how can it help Orihuela Costa. Well, there are an estimated 8,000 registered voters, that is equivalent to 8 councillors, however, when you add the other eligible voters resident on the coast that figure increases to the mid-teens which, if everybody voted, would equate to roughly 13-15 councillors, so we can clearly see that there is hope for Orihuela Costa, but that hope centres around the need for all Orihuela Costa voters to come together, to speak as one voice. It is this unity that will make the difference.
Orihuela Costa has so much potential, which is why it is still such a magnet, not only for the 900,000 tourists that visit us each year, accounting for 90% of all Orihuela’s tourism, but also for those people buying property.
Last year alone, nearly 900 properties were bought and sold on Orihuela Costa, with the number of registered residents increasing by roughly 2,200 people, and that figure is not only going to continue but also increase. In approximately 10 Years’ time Orihuela Costa will have a population equal to that of the rest of the Orihuela municipality combined.
But the work needs to begin now. Orihuela Costa needs to have representation on the council. This is the only way that we will have access to information, documents, files, contracts and municipal finances. The more councillors we can achieve, the more we can make ourselves heard……but the key word is VOTE, without which Orihuela politicians will continue to ignore our legal, civil and socioeconomic rights.
What we do on 28 May will affect the Orihuela Costa and it’s future generations for many years to come. So, make sure that you do the right thing by using your voice and your vote judiciously.
