Many residents of Orihuela Costa are retirees from central Europe, Scandinavia, or Britain, who have invested their life savings in a house in southern Alicante.
They arrive thinking it is paradise on earth, with a great welfare state, safety, a fabulous climate, unique gastronomy, excellent infrastructure, and many like-minded people with whom to socialise.
They find a lovely apartment in an urbanisation with a pool and gardens or a small house where you quickly make friends.
Initially, everything seems perfect. But soon, reality sets in: dirty streets, overgrown gardens, uncollected rubbish, broken containers, defective street lamps, potholes, dirty beaches, a shortage of medical facilities, nowhere to socialise other than bars, and a lack of security.
You then start asking questions, visit the town hall, but receive no help. Neighbours tell you this is just how things are. Then you hear about UNIDOS POR LA COSTA, a group of Spanish and foreign neighbours who are also protesting and striving for improvements.
A friend suggests that you register, so you join UNIDOS POR LA COSTA. Occasionally, you receive messages but remain passive, as you continue to enjoy the great weather and your new surrounds.
Meanwhile, as you relax by the side of your pool, your Association is fighting for your rights, which are largely being ignored by the Orihuela Town Hall.
It has approached the Ombudsman, the Mission of which in the Community of Valencia is to ensure compliance with, and respect for, the rights and freedoms of the general public by the local and regional administration.
Well, good news. At long last your association has now managed to get the Ombudsman to instruct Orihuela Town Hall to respond truthfully to it’s many questions with verifiable data and detailed commitments.
He has now written to the Orihuela Government, details of which are below:
Complaint 2402567 Presented by ‘Unidos por la Costa’ (United for the Coast) – Resolution of Considerations to the Administration
TO THE ORIHUELA CITY COUNCIL:
We remind you of the legal duty to respond within the legally established time limit, expressly and with reasons, to written submissions from the public, as per article 21 of Law 39/2015.
We recommend issuing a reasoned response to letters submitted by the interested party, addressing each issue raised and notifying them of the resolution.
Administrations must then send a report within a month stating if they accept these considerations and the measures they will adopt. If not accepted, they must justify their response.
UNIDOS POR LA COSTA asks questions on behalf of nearly 1,000 members from 40 nationalities, representing the 30,000 registered residents, plus the many unregistered residents and the thousands of additional visitors to this part of Spain.
We are ashamed of what we see and experience. This situation in Orihuela Costa, the way we are treated by the administration is not normal, and we want all our neighbours to understand.
Spain is a great country. Orihuela Costa is your home. So let’s get involved, commit ourselves, defend what is ours, and thereby work together to achieve what is best for everyone.
Join UNIDOS POR LA COSTA NOW. It is a non-political organisation, the membership of which is absolutely free. Help us to achieve strength in numbers which will then enable us to better represent the people of Orihuela Costa.
Further information is available on our Facebook Page at: www.facebook.com/unidosxlacosta
‼️ The Orihuela coast says enough is enough ‼️
