Agenda 21: On Brexit, urban development, climate3 change and sustainability
Chris Jones
Public presentation of Strategy for Sustainable Urban Development on Monday 21st November
Nov 18th
Next MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST, AT 7:00 PM in the conference room of the Archaeological and Ethnographic MUSEUM SOLER BLASCO (access by Carrer Major), will be held the Public Presentation of the Strategy for the Sustainable Urban Development of Xàbia (Fent Xàbia). the content of this document has been elaborated with all the public contributions made during the process . The document will be submitted to obtain European funds which will enable developing the strategy over the next five years. From "FentXabia" Press Release. For more about EDUSI see: EDUSI Integrated sustainable Urban development
Xàbia receives €22,600 tourism grant from Valencia
Nov 18th
The financial assistance has been divided between several projects. Some 8,000 euros has been allocated to the improvement of signs around the Old town to assist visitors and tourists to find their way around on foot. The vertical signs show the direction to different cultural resources and historic monuments. A total of 25 new signs have been installed . Another 3,600 euros have been allocated for new LED illumination of the exterior of the ancient fortress-church of San Bartolomé in the heart of the Old Town, reducing energy consumption from 8,750 to 1,770 watts. The lighting in spaces such as the side of the Plaza Celestino Pons, inside the bell-tower and the clock as well as the façade of the indoor market has also been changed. For full story see: Javeamigos
Plan for protecting urbanisations against wild fires
Nov 18th
A special meeting has been held at the Ayuntamiento de Xàbia between municipal representatives and representatives from the Generalitat Valenciana's General Directorate of Emergencies to prepare a plan to make Xàbia a safer place in the case of forest fires and improve coordination and response procedures. A general assessment will be made of the current state of the urbanisations of Xàbia and the population centres that are closest to the forested areas. Priority is to be given to assess the degree of risk in each case and the self-protection work, evacuation plans, emergency rendezvouz points, access points and the use of security services, etc. in each area. It is hoped the Plñna will be ready by Easter. For full story see: Javeamigos.
Construction along the Xàbia coast to be restricted
Nov 13th
The implementation of the Territorial Action plan of the Coastal Green Infrastructure of Valencia, (Pativel), was presented this week. This project aims to protect the almost 6,500 hectares 500 metres in from the seashore that have not been developed in the Valencian Community. With respect to the Marina Alta, this will have a significant impact on the southern coast of Xàbia that still retains cliffs and valuable seascapes. In Xabia , Pativel affects three areas: the Portitxol, which has plots of land available but unscheduled for development, and Llobatera and La Falzia that have areas scheduled for building. The idea is to grant 5 years to start those already authorized development works or finish those already underway. Failure to meet these requirements means the program will expire and the lands should be return to their "original state". There is another tool of protection: In affected areas, existing buildings can be rehabilitated and primary networks established, but building is not allowed. The possibility of new urban developments in that strip of 500 meters is closed. The mayor said that for the moment there are hardly any new programs in these three areas. From: La Marina Plaza.
Xàbia to be involved in a study of the regulation of holiday rental properties
Nov 13th
Xàbia will be fully involved in one of the most important issues of the tourism sector in recent years - the regulation of holiday rentals. This was decided at the meeting of the Tourism Commission of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP). The meeting was attended by the mayor of Xàbia, José Chulvi, who is a member of this committee on behalf of the PSOE. Xàbia is the only municipality in the Region of Valencia that has this representation. With regard to the meeting, Chulvi explained that "our town will be present in one of the working groups on rentals through our Department of Tourism. The objective is to make a study of the status of the available housing stock and, subsequently, to adapt it to the legality and interests of one of our most relevant economic sectors. We want to reach a position which is fair and transparent in which everyone wins: customers and those who offer their properties for rent. " From Chulvi Facebook.
Spain vows to ratify climate pact quickly
Nov 13th
Spain will quickly ratify a global pact aimed at taming climate change, a step which had been delayed by months of political paralysis, Environment Minister Isabel Garcia Tejerina said Friday. "Ratification will allow us to participate fully in all the decisions which will start to be adopted" after UN climate talks currently underway in Morocco which Rajoy will attend, she added. Spain is one of the biggest consumers in Europe of fossil fuels. The country also has little or no oil reserves, making it heavily dependent on imported oil.
Oil accounts for half of its energy consumption while natural gas accounts for roughly 20 percent. For full story see: Phys.org
Valencia's college of Architects to advise on Montañar Coastal Path design competition
Nov 11th
The premise is to attract the best architects and construct a path that respects the environment, enhances the value of the bay of Xàbia and makes it more accessible to people. With this commitment, the mayor of Xàbia, José Chulvi, met this morning with the Dean of the College of Architects of Valencia, Rafael Durá in order to outline a transparent tender backed by technical guarantees for the competition of ideas for the Montañar coastal path. At the meeting, which was also attended by Urban Councillor Paco Torres, and the Municipal architect, Enric Morera, Rafael Durá expressed his satisfaction with both the purpose of the tender and by the type of project planned. In this respect, José Chulvi emphasised "that we want it to be perfectly integrated into the landscape and not cause any damage to the environment. Our objective is to enhance this unique space along our coast while respecting to the maximum its physical appearance ".
In relation to the project, the preliminary steps (which should be taken into account in the proposals) is the road management of Avenida Augusta and Calle Genoa and the diversion of part of the traffic, taking into consideration the parking needs once the immediate beach-front ceases to be used. The next step will be the drafting of the basis of the pre-project competition. With this in mind, a committee will be formed in which experts from different areas and administrations (Generalitat Valenciana and Government of Spain) will be given a voice. A jury of international prestige will be created and the definitive calendar for the work will be set out. from Chulvi Facebook.
Spain’s food industry threatened by Brexit
Nov 8th
The Spanish food and drink industry could be facing lower revenues, fewer exports and smaller profits as a result of the Brexit vote. This is one of the conclusions of Alimentación y bebidas: tendencias 2016 (or, Food and beverages: Trends for 2016), a study by the consulting group KPMG. According to the Trade Secretary’s Office, in 2015 Spain exported food and drinks to Britain worth over €3.5 billion, making it the second-most-important export sector after the auto industry. Food exports to the UK grew 60% between 2006 and 2015. The fruit and vegetable category experienced the greatest boom, representing a 51% increase over the period to reach sales of over €2 billion in 2015. This is followed by beverages, food preparations, meat products, and fats and oils. But this growth could be substantially slowed down by Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. For full story see : El Pais in English
Interview with Ximo Puig includes reassurances for British citizens post Brexit
Nov 7
The region’s socialist leader is on a mission to diversify the local economy and boost the vital tourism sector. His weapons are greater government transparency to encourage investors and a collective drive with industry and business to move towards a knowledge economy based on better training and high-quality employment…..
……
How could Brexit be turned into an opportunity?
We currently have serious opportunities on the table that would reinforce our ties with Britain as a result of the Brexit vote. And there is an emotional component to it, which is the large British community living in our region. We call them our 100,000 British Valencianos.
What reassurances have you given to the British expat community?
Following the Brexit vote, we met with community representatives here and guaranteed that they will continue to enjoy the same rights as any other European citizen, including healthcare issues, which is a matter of great concern for senior residents. We have sent out a very powerful message of calm to the community, and in turn we have received shows of support from British citizens who live here and who are greatly concerned about their country’s decision to exit the EU.
For full interview see:
Making the case for Brits in Spain post Brexit - Sign on the Padrón
Nov 3rd
The main message from the British Consul, Sarah-Jane Morris, at a meeting held in Xàbia today, was that if the British people in Spain wanted the consul to represent their interests, then they should sign on the Padrón. She noted that there had been a big drop in people on the Padrón following a recent change in tax laws…people who were probably still here. (Eds note: Signing on the padrón has nothing to do with tax affairs - people who spend a part of their time living here, while retaining their tax status in the UK can become registered on the padrón. Residents must renew every 5 years, non-residents every 2 years. For more details see: Padron) . ) She said that the consulate was collecting information on the current situtation for Brits in Spain, and this would be passed to the UK Department for Exiting the European Union (DEXU) so that it is included in future negotiations. Mr Standing for the consulate health department described the current situation as regards health care entitlements for different categories of foreign residents, and Mr Lambert, a lawyer outlined three possible scenarios for Brexit: Access to the European Economic Area (.e.g Norway); a bilateral agreement to give access to the EEA e.g. Switzerland; or WTO rules (e.g. US). The latter could affect pensions. Inheritance tax exemptions could be lost. It was clarified that at present the UK Government pays €220 per month to the Spanish Government to cover health care for each UK pensioner registered in Spain. This sum is revised each year and approved by the European Comission. The Spanish Government submits its costs similarly. (From Ed's notes)For alternative views on this meetings see: Brexit meeting - Chulvi report
Tesla unveils solar roof tiles
Oct 30th
The Tesla chief executive, Elon Musk, has unveiled new energy products aimed at illustrating the benefits of combining his firm, which makes electric cars and batteries, with solar installer SolarCity. The billionaire entrepreneur showed off solar roof tiles that eliminate the need for traditional panels and a longer-lasting home battery, which Tesla calls the Powerwall, aimed at realising his vision of selling a fossil fuel-free lifestyle to consumers…Tesla gave little detail on cost, except to say that the cost of the roof would be less than a conventional roof plus solar. The product will appeal to home builders and those looking to replace their roofs, Musk said, adding that the shingles would be more durable and have better insulation qualities than conventional roofing. Full story on:The Guardian Ed's note: I guess the "Tuscan Glass Tile" would be the tile design for around here: See: Teslarati.
Xàbia calls for bilateral agreement between UK and Spain post Brexit
Oct 30th
Mayor José Chulvi has proposed a motion calling on the governments of Spain and the United Kingdom to negotiate a bilateral agreement in the wake of the 'BREXIT' referendum vote. More than 5,300 registered residents of Xàbia originated in the United Kingdom and the mayor is calling for an agreement to ensure that British citizens continue to enjoy the rights they currently enjoy after the UK's proposed departure from the European Union, much like residents from other non-EU nations (such as Bolivia, Cape Verde, New Zealand, Paraguay, Norway and Iceland) do. "We will fight where necessary to ensure that there is no discrimination and that they will continue to provide as much as, and as good as until now. Our commitment is firm and unequivocal in favour of maintaining the rights of all our citizens." For full story and text of the motion in English see: Javeamigos Additional source:Las Provincias
Climate change may turn southern Spain to desert by 2100
Oct 28th
Southern Spain will be reduced to desert by the end of the century if the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, researchers have warned. Anything less than extremely ambitious and politically unlikely carbon emissions cuts will see ecosystems in the Mediterranean change to a state unprecedented in the past 10 millennia, they said. The study, published in the journal Science, modelled what would happen to vegetation in the Mediterranean basin under four different paths of future carbon emissions. Even if emissions are held to the level of pledges put forward ahead of the Paris deal, southern Europe would experience a “substantial” expansion of deserts. "The Med is very sensitive to climatic change, maybe much more than any other region in the world,” said lead author Joel Guiot of Aix-Marseille University. For full story see: The Guardian
Xàbia commended for glass recycling
Oct 24th
The recycling company Ecovidrio has awarded Xàbia the 'Green Igloo' award for the commitment of its residents and restaurant owners to recycling glass. During the month of August, a total of 262,630 kilos of glass was collected by the company, a 12% rise of the same period last year. For full story see: Javeamigos
Spain will be run on 100 per cent renewables, energy boss vows
Oct 24th
The director of one of Spain's top power companies has predicted the country will eventually become 100 per cent relaint on renewable energy. Acciona boss Miguel Ezpeleta said there is currently enough wind energy being generated to power 29m Spanish homes every day. The firm, which monitors 9,500 wind turbines across the world from its base in Pamplona in northern Spain, said a new nighttime record was set in November last year when wind energy provided 70 per cent of the country’s energy. The daytime record was hit in January 2015 when wind accounted for 54 per cent of energy used. for full story see: The Independent
--
Cullen Hightower