Residents protest outside Playa Flamenca Town Hall as council prepares to vote on a proposal urging the Generalitat to take control of the local government.
While organisers claim nearly 500 residents gathered outside Orihuela Costa’s Town Hall in Playa Flamenca to demand improved public services for the coastal area, my quick headcount put the numbers at around 200, still a sizeable number, however, given the short notice provided of the local gathering.
The protest took place just ahead of a regular meeting of District Boards X and XI during which on a proposal was tabled calling on the Generalitat Valenciana to intervene in the management of the local council, citing a persistent lack of essential services.
Román Jiménez, president of the Orihuela Costa Independence Party (PIOC), read a statement to the crowd before the vote. The motion, which he had successfully included on the agenda days earlier, as a representative of District X. It was initially the only item acknowledged in the meeting notice issued by Costa Councillor Manuel Mestre but following a clerical error a revised agenda was sent out later, broadening the list of topics for discussion.
This marks the third time that local groups have succeeded in forcing a district board meeting — the last being in May, after a five-month gap, despite the requirement for monthly sessions.
In his address, Jiménez urged the Generalitat to take control of Orihuela’s municipal government to ensure residents receive the services they already pay for but reportedly do not receive.
He criticised successive Orihuela governments for neglecting the needs of the growing coastal population, saying it is unacceptable for the area to be governed from 35 kilometres away by politicians “who have repeatedly shown they do not care about us.”
Jiménez pointed out that under Spain’s Local Administration Rationalisation and Sustainability Law, municipalities are legally required to provide a range of basic services, including street lighting, cemeteries, waste collection, street cleaning, potable water, sewerage, civil protection, fire prevention, transportation, road maintenance, and additional facilities such as music schools, sports centres, day care centres, cultural centres, and libraries. “Orihuela Costa lacks virtually all of this, and what little does exist is of deplorable quality,” he said.
Investment Disparities
He also criticised the disparity in public investment, highlighting over €100 million earmarked for projects in the city centre — including the restoration of the historic quarter, a new industrial park, and a sports complex — while Orihuela Costa remains, in his words, “a city without services.”
Jiménez added that the area’s water utility has stated a €15 million investment is urgently needed to build a water storage facility to ensure adequate supply and support future development — a need he doubts the current council can effectively address.
Following the demonstration, the district board met in quieter surrounds to discuss agenda items and vote on the proposal of Valencia-s intervention. The motion was rejected, with the People’s Party (PP) and Vox voting against, while the Socialist Party (PSOE), Cambiemos, and Ciudadanos abstained. Only three members voted in favour: Jiménez himself and two representatives of the Unidos por la Costa residents’ association.
Despite the motion’s defeat, the meeting was marked by strong criticism of the city government from members of both districts, who bemoaned yet another summer “with rubbish saturating the streets and no improvements in sight.”
Images courtesy PIOC
