The municipal company Ildo will begin maintaining the green areas in Orihuela Costa in mid-January, nearly a year after the plenary approved its management mandate.
The delay followed a period where many parts of the municipality and coastline were neglected, leading to the collapse of several palm and pine trees. An emergency pruning contract was necessary in Cabo Roig after a tree fell on a villa garden.
Initially, the plenary approved the commissioning of Ildo in February, with activity expected to start around Easter, then postponed to mid-June, and later to November. The council is now ready to notify the cessation of activity to the current, contract-less, provider.
This administrative irregularity caused payment delays, accruing interest on unpaid invoices and prompting complaints about minimal service from residents. With vehicles, machinery, and schedules now ready, the council will cover the service, estimated at two million euros annually.
Ildo’s management of Orihuela Costa’s parks and green areas will cost around 4.5 million euros over three years.
The previous PSOE and Ciudadanos government tendered a five-year, 10-million-euro contract, later set aside by the PP and Vox coalition, which supports direct municipal management for cost savings of 3.5 million euros. Ildo, managing other services like regulated parking (ORA) and park maintenance in the city and pedanias, received approval with support from Cambiemos.
This complex and controversial contract has faced challenges since its inception, including appeals and thorough investigations. The service impacts over 2.5 million square meters, 213 green areas, and 7,000 palm trees. The new specifications increase staffing from 12 to 30, aiming to cover 100% of the green areas, up from the previous contract’s 40%.
