As awareness for the care of our environment becomes increasingly widespread, one of the most requested facilities by the residents of Orihuela Costa is an Eco park, a selective collection facility that can be accessed by all inhabitants of the municipality which can be used to deposit the waste that cannot be collected in the usual containers on the roadside.
In late September when the Councillor for Street Cleaning, Rocío Ortuño, announced the creation of two such parks, one in Orihuela City and the second in Orihuela Costa, there was much celebration among residents that they were finally going to get their wish.
But then came the announcement of the park location in Lomas de Cabo Roig, on the edge of a large upmarket residential area, overlooking the AP7 motorway and adjacent to the plot that currently serves as a temporary parking lot for the refuse lorries.
Within a matter of hours social media sites were overrun with comments, but the mood had changed with the vast majority of those leaving posts, supportive of the principle but extremely critical of the chosen location.
JANE WAUGHMAN wrote “totally unacceptable in a residential area due to the noise and health hazards, dangerous location overlooking the AP7 – high risk of debris reaching the motorway, especially in high winds, and increased traffic on the inadequate bridge across the AP7 will cause more danger to cyclists & pedestrians.”
KAY FELLOWES wrote about her objections to the location saying, “the road from Cabo Roig to Villamartin has increased in traffic over the last 15 years. There are no pavements along the roads or walkway over the bridge. People’s lives are already in danger in this area, without increasing the traffic. We also suffer the smell from the sewage plants. We have the dust lorries going up and down every night. Please put it somewhere else.”
ROSEMARY NALTY had a similar comment, “Completely unacceptable in a residential area. Constant noise from cars and trucks trundling into the area. Disgusting smell from rotting food left on recyclable rubbish and breeding ground for flies and vermin as a result.
“The site of the refuse lorry storage area/ green waste collection is managed appallingly. No fence on site, people driving up at any hour of night to dump God knows what, trucks driving in all through the night wake residents multiple times every night.
“Paper rubbish is dumped on site and is then collected up to be stored in a container. Half of the rubbish blows away all around the road. This is never tidied up. The site next to the refuse truck storage park is covered with litter all the time. This mismanagement of the site does not instil any confidence in the management of the new Eco Park. It will be the same story all over again.”
MARTHA HOLT was even more forthright, accusing the Orihuela council of having no concern for either the residents or the environment. “In Orihuela Costa, there is no Non-Residential place. Here is the consequence of giving construction permits without good planning, without planning the well-being of the inhabitants and the environment. What sadly happens the €€€€ is what Speaks. Now to put this “Ecopark” in a residential area, I ask the Official authorities, are they looking at the well-being of the inhabitants and the environment? Is this the right place, or are they just not interested?”
Of the 110 or so posts on the AVCRL Facebook page almost every one was of the same opinion, but with Orihuela Costa being predominantly urbanised and devoid of a suitable industrial park that could accommodate the facility only NANCY PETERS came up with a sensible recommendation for an alternative site. “Unacceptable in a residential area! But why not connect the Eco park to the water treatment station? Hardly anyone sees it there and there is plenty of room.”
To me as a simple layman, that seems to be an eminently sensible suggestion, Nancy.
Such has been the furore since the announcement of the location that last Wednesday AVCRL published a survey asking for votes on the proposed location. Over 400 residents have already voted, with, as I write this article, 78% voting against the proposed location.
Spokesperson Tomas Moreno will be passing the figures onto the Mayor and his Councillor next week, and it will be interesting to see what notice, if any, they take. If you have not yet cast your vote on the poll, and you would like to do so, just search for the AVCRL Facebook page.
In the meantime, Councillor Ortuño, with no former experience in anvironmental or waste matters, and who just happens to be the daughter of the president of the Association of Moors and Christians and a close friend of Pepe Vegara, explained that “procedures are already underway to transfer the Lomas plot to the Alicante Provincial Council to expedite the project, which must also have environmental authorisation. Once the land is transferred there will be a project drafting period of 2 months and an execution period of 4 months, so we hope that by next summer the eco park will be up and running and providing service to the people of Orihuela Costa thus fulfilling a historical demand from the residents.”
“large upmarket residential area” in Lomas de Cabo Roig ? Made me laugh. I’ve lived on the Orihuela Costa for nearly 16 years, and the days of upmarket residential areas on the Orihuela Costa have long since gone. Every area looks like the same because of the style of properties and you are now getting HMO problems in residential areas, as well as people sub-letting without vetting.
Martha Holt complains about lack of control on building permits, has she ever thought that her property has added to the problems on the coast ?
Anyone buying a NEW property on the Orihuela Costa are fuelling the demand from builders for more construction licences from the Council, which ultimately causes problems with waste of the coast.
If agent’s realistically priced resale properties and were not paid nearing 30% commission to flog new build, plus new builds were not being offered with over 100% mortgages again, the construction on the coast could have been managed better and resale soaked up demand.
The problems being highlighted with the eco park at Lomas de Cabo Roig, are no different to what people living directly next to Zenia Boulevard have faced since it opened. Smelly commercial recycling trailers, public rubbish and noise, lorry all night parking up with refridgerator units running – thank you Monica Lorente (PP) and Bob Houliston (CLARO) !