Agenda21: On house sales, electricity, drought, coastal resources, local investment
Chris Jones
Valencia pledges 8 million to improve Xàbia's schools
While Parador gets more than 2 million
April 8th
The Generalitat Valenciana has pledged some 8 million euros for improvements to be made to all the public schools in Xàbia. Through the Plan Edificant, improvements to all primary and secondary schools as well as education centres can start as soon as the investment has been passed to the Ayuntamiento and the tenders have been tendered and commissioned, the final amount being charged to the regional government. The first centre to benefit from this investment will be CEIP Trenc d'Alba in which some 1.4 million euros worth of renovations will be carried out, including the construction of a gymnasium, extension of the kitchen and dining room, improvements to toilets and a playground for the children. In addition, IES Antoni Llidó will see damaged basic infrastructure repaired and a new classroom will be constructed at IES Numero 1 in the port. CEIP Port de Xàbia will see repairs made to a passageway where the surface has subsided (it was built on the old river bed) and improvements will be made to the playground. At CEIP L'Arenal a new playground will be created and the corridors between the floors will be closed to improve energy efficiency. At CEIP Vicente Tena the gymnasium will be renovated as well as the toilets and a new lift will be installed, the latter work being implemented directly by the Education Ministry during the summer. For full story see: Javeamigos. At the same time, the Ministry of Public Works has earmarked €2.5 million in 2018 to renovate the Parador's 70 rooms with another €4 million in 2019. (From:Xàbia al Día)
The Marina Alta leads the sale of homes to foreigners
April 8th
During 2017, the sale of homes to foreigners reached record figures in Spain, and a report by "Home Spain" predicts that this upward trend will continue during this 2018. Non-resident foreign citizens boughtmore than 61,000 homes in 2017, 7,000 more than in 2016, especially in the coastal provinces and the islands. In the Valencian Community, the sale to foreigners last year reached 25% of real estate transactions. Alicante remains the preferred province for the European market, with 40% of its sales to foreigners. Dénia, Xàbia, Orba, Moraira and Benissa top the list. "the most common buyers are British, Dutch, Germans or middle-class Belgians, between 50 and 65 years of age and retired or close to retirement, in search of their second home." The average investment of the foreign buyer in this area ranges between 200,000 and 400,000 euros, and the housing types in most demand according to Home Spain are villas with 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms and swimming pool, or townhouses in complex with communal pool. From: https://lamarinaplaza.com/2018/04/03/la-marina-alta-lidera-la-venta-de-viviendas-a-extranjeros-en-la-costa-con-cifras-de-record/. Another article in Sunday's Las Provincias describes how properties in Valencia's run down district of el Cabañal are being snapped up by foreign buyers wanting to invest for places to let or summer retreats; at the same time in the UK press the Sunday Times Culture supplement describes how "secondary" Spanish cities are turning into opportunities for property investment - deciding factors being airport access.
Valencia to launch a centre for sustainable food
April 8th
The idea announced by the Mayor of Valencia, Joan Ribó is to develop a global sustainable food centre in a permanent collaboration with FAO for the transmission of experiences and research on sustainable agriculture and nutrition. Last year Valencia hosted a meeting of mayors and representatives of cities that had signed the so-called Pact of Milan, a document signed in 2015 that seeks to promote urban policies in favor of sustainable food. Ribó called for wagering on proximity markets, such as bringing the Valencian garden closer to the city, as well as educating young people about food processes and promoting urban gardens. He also advocated "redirecting" research, which is "too thought out from the interests of multinationals" towards proximity markets and the fields of organic farming and traditional practices. From:El Mundo
Top price summer rentals help to push up house prices
March 31st
A specialist report points to summer resorts in the Marina Alta as among the most expensive summer rental rates at €5000 a month in Moraira and €4000 in Xàbia. Prices, and therefore that profitability, have skyrocketed with the emergence in this market of giant platforms such as Airbnb, Wimdu or HomeAway and has caused even an increase in the purchase of homes that are used for this purpose. The study was carried out by one of those operators with a strong presence in the Comunitat, HomeAway, and contains the destinations where the owners can earn more to rent out their home during the summer. The estimated monthly profit for the summer period, which runs from June 1 to August 31 can reach €4320 €in Xàbia. As a consequence of this situation in Calpe, workers have to find lodging in nearby towns such as Benissa. From La Marina Plaza.
Fast-track electric car charging point on Valencia-Madrid motorway
March 31st
Spain's first express charging point for electronically-powered and hybrid cars will beset up shortly halfway down the A-3 Valencia-Madrid motorway. Provided by Tesla Spain, S.A., the charger will be installed at kilometre 175 of the A-3 at the service station in the town of Atalaya de Cañavate in the province of Cuenca, the only one that lies between those of Valencia and Madrid. For full story see: ThinkSpain
Spanish Electricity prices per MWh 'lowest in EU' this week
March 31st
Electricity in Spain became the cheapest in the European Union on Thursday and has remained so ever since – the second time this has happened in a fortnight. Retail prices per megawatt per hour (MWh) dropped to €22.91. This meant the price of energy in Spain fell far below those of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, which typically register the lowest in the EU and the EEA at around €41 per MWh. This plummeting in costs is partly due to a greater production in wind energy providing electricity to the national grid – with storms having re-entered Galicia from the Atlantic this week and now sweeping Spain as a whole, wind farms have seen energy generated soar by 62.7% this month compared with March last year, to 6,937 gigawatts per hour (GWh), or 32.9% of the total, way ahead of nuclear sources, which made up just 19.2% of the total power created. Torrential rain across the mainland and Balearic Islands as a result of the string of storms since the start of the year mean hydraulic energy production has shot up, whilst combined sources only make up 5.9% of total power generated and coal just 5.4%. Since the start of the year, electricity production has been made up of 26.5% wind – making this the main source for 2018 so far – 21.5% nuclear, 13.5% hydraulic, 12.2% coal and 8.5% combined sources, with generators providing 11%. for full story see: ThinkSpain
Drought drags on and affects irrigated crops
March 31st
The last rains have not ended the drought. The reservoirs in the Júcar basin are at 30% of their capacity, while those of the Segura barely reach 22.4%, almost 40 points below the Spanish average which stands at 60.2%.The lack of rain in the Region (meteorological drought) has been dragging on since 2013. The area destined for irrigation in the Region has reduced by 2.96%. in 2017 irrigated crops in the Region comprise 290,126 hectares of a cultivated area of 642,197 (45.1% against 21 , 9% of the Spanish average). 69.6% of the irrigated area in the Region uses localised (drip feed) systems, while the gravity fed irrigation is falling and now below 30% of the total. Even so, during the past year about 20,000 hectares of irrigated land were lost. This is contrary to the rest of Spain where irrigated crops grew by 2.14% in 2017. from: Las Provincias
Xàbia analyses its strengths and weaknesses in the face of drought
March 23rd
Some forty representatives from different social groups organised as members of Xàbia's 'Observatorio del Agua' met at the municipality's desalination plant yesterday to analyse the weaknesses and strengths of the town in its management of water supply and discuss alternative measures and proposals to addresses any weaknesses exposed by the analysis. The workshop was attended by mayor José Chulvi, Josep Lluis Henarejos, manager of the municipal water company, and Nuria Hernández-Mora, coordinator of the project developed by the 'Fundación Nueva Cultura del Agua'. Those attending were told that it was certain that the region will be hit by another drought and that although it was impossible to eliminate its effects, it can be managed and the consequences reduced if a plan was in place to do so. Therefore it was vital to look at and understand the causes that make Xàbia vulnerable to drought, to identify its strengths to use to face the problem and put in place a policy through which decision-making can be made easier in emergency situations. Xàbia is one of the three municipalities collaborating with the 'Fundación Nueva Cultura del Agua' in 'Proyecto SeGuía' to develop a methodological guide for the in-house development of drought risk management plans. The document will have three fundamental advantages for the municipality. Firstly, Xàbia will become a pioneering town in the management of droughts and assisting other municipalities in the country who want to develop similar management plans in drought risk prevention. Secondly, as a pilot municipality, the technical team of the Foundation will help to review the specific drought management plan for Xàbia. And thirdly, the active participation of all interested parties in the process will allow learning and strengthen the social capacities to improve the management of risks due to drought in the municipality. For full story see: Javeamigos. The SeGuía project can be found on: Proyecto seGuía
Xàbia picks up on idea from the Mediterranean forum:Commercial fishing as a tourist attraction
March 22nd
The Department of Tourism and the Fishermen's Guild have joined together to create and present a joint project in which they will be working hand in hand with consultation company 'Feel and Trip' to open up the world of commercial fishing to the public. It is an initiative related to experiential tourism which allows those interested to take part and be directly involved in the industry from departure from the port in the early morning, experiencing life on board including its many jobs and ultimately the reward of being able to sample some of the fresh fish and seafood that has been caught during this special day. The idea of a fishing tourism project was established in the last 'Xàbia Mediterranean Fórum' on sustainable tourism, and forms part of the town's commitment to sustainability, opening up the port to another form of tourism which offers cultural immersion as well as respect for the natural environment. In addition the project will place an added value of the local fishing industry, helping to make the primary sector more profitable. Mayor Chulvi explained that the town needed a living port, open and active, which was why the idea was proposed to the fishing industry to place Xàbia as a unique tourist destination and boost the local economy. Twenty people (five crews) are already being trained to be part of 'Pesca Turismo', funded by the Ayuntamiento de Xàbia to the tune of 9,000 euros. For full story see: Javeamigos
The Marine Biodiversity of Xàbia should be treasured
March 6th
The Valencian Oceanographic Foundation visited Xàbia this week to present the first results of its study into the marine biodiversity of the precious seabed off the coast of the municipality, a project to raise awareness of its huge importance and the need for its conservation. Representatives from the Foundation outlined its initial findings in a special presentation at the Ayuntamiento de Xàbia which included major proposals to make local people aware of the wealth of marine life hidden beneath the waves and how important it is to preserve it. The selection of Xàbia as the centre of this study was not a random choice but was motivated by the fact that, together with the Illes Columbretes, the sea off the coast of the municipality hosts some of the greatest biodiversity along the Valencian coast in an area which has a lot of pressure from tourism. Three inspection dives have been made to inspect the seabed, take samples of the Posidonia Oceania seagrass which is endemic to the Mediterranean and inspect the impact left by vessels anchoring along the coast during the busy summer months. In additional the study has evaluated the socio-economic aspect to place a value on the marine biodiversity of the area and establish what its loss would mean, both for the wellbeing of the local people as well as for basic services. The next phase will be educational to highlight the results of the study to social agents and involve them in the conservation and control of marine biodiversity. This sill be achieved through such campaigns as exhibitions, documentaries and discussions in schools. For full story see: Javeamigos
An extreme February
March 6th
February has been characterized by climatological contrasts in the region. In general terms the month has been colder than usual with an average temperature of 7.2º when the reference average 8.8º (1.6º lower). But at the same time there have been many days with records higher than 20º. On the 15th the 25th was reached in Sumacárcer. The coldest days were between the 6th and 9th. Mediterranean moist air before the 6th generated copious snowfalls in large areas, which exceeded 25 centimeters in the interior of the province of Castellón. Afterwards the combination of cold air, few clouds and snow-covered ground resulted in temperatures that were below -6ºC in places like Vilafranca (-8.3ºC), Ademuz (-7.9ºC) and Fredes (- 6.2ºC). The month of February was the third coldest in the last 25 years, after those of 2005 and 2012 On the other hand accumulated rainfall was high at 49.5 litres per square meter, 30% higher than the climatic average of the period 1981-2010 (38.2 litres). Although rainfall in January and February has reduced the rainfall deficit from 85 to 50%, almost the entire territory shows a lack of rainfall in the current hydrological year. The deficit is more pronounced in the northern half of the territory. From Las Provincias
Ministry promotes consensus on protection of natural spaces
Feb 22nd
The Central Government, together with the Conselleria and the local administrations, has decided to give an push to the management plan of the "Lugars de Interes comunitario" (LIC) - Sites of Community Importance on the coast of the Marina Alta, as well as those in the rest of the Region. It is a shared task since the national body has the competences in everything related to the sea, while the Generalitatis responsible for the land. Despite this, they have decided to hold three workshops with the socioeconomic sectors, public administrations and scientists to establish the bases "in a consensual manner" for the protection of these areas. One of these meetings was held yesterday in Xàbia, where work began to set the objectives of the management of the Marine Area LIC of the Marina Alta. They agreed that the zone of the coast of the region "has so many uses that it needs to have all the agents involved. The process to obtain the basis for the management of the LIC will not be simple. Municipal sources stressed that "we must try to agree on the preferences and interests of each of the sectors involved." The seed of this initiative was planted in one of the conferences of the Xàbia Forum. From: Las Provincias.
Xàbia Town Hall will reforest small areas of the Granadella with indigenous trees which are more resistant to fire
Feb 19th
This week begins a new phase in the forest recovery project in the public forest of Granadella, which was affected by a serious fire in September 2016 that burned 812 hectares. Following a similar plan to that which has already been implemented in La Plana, from the municipal Department of the Environment has chosen to facilitate conditions which favour natural regeneration in most of the soil and to repopulate small specific areas with native species which are more resistant to fire such as carob or wild olive trees, thus restoring the agrarian landscape. This activity will now take place due to the optimal conditions of the land following the recent rains and in parallel with the latest forest recovery and fire prevention work coordinated by the municipality, which will last until summer. These works were initiated by the Town Council a few days after the fire and have involved the Regional Department of Agriculture, the Provincial Council of Alicante and the Ministry of Agriculture. The strategy agreed during technical meetings of the four administrations involves an investment of nearly one million euros: 400,000 euros contributed by Xàbia, 250,000 euros from the Provincial Council, 200,000 from the Generalitat Valenciana and 150,000 from the State. From Jose Chuivi Facebook. For full statement see: Reforestation of Granadella
Xàbia municipal cartogrophy on-line
Feb 13th
The Department of Town Planning has added an interesting new section to the municipal website www.ajxabia.com which allows members of the public to consult the official map of Xàbia. Known as 'CartoXÀBIA' and available via a link on the front page of the website, it is a tool that will serve to make town planning information more accessible and continue to meet the objective of transparency about the updated draft PGOU - the development plan for the town - on which the town hall is currently working. For full story see: Javeamigos
Program to reintroduce Ospreys starts in Xàbia
Feb 13th
A project to re-introduce the osprey to the Comunidad Valenciana will start in Xàbia after a feasibility study agreed its viability. The campaign will be supported by the town councils of Xàbia, Dénia, Pego and Oliva and two of the project's main driving force have visited the town to outline the strategy to return this species of bird of prey, which is also known as the sea hawk, to the region almost forty years after it disappeared. For full story see: Javeamigos
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Cullen Hightower