Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)THOUSANDS have marched through the streets of Chiclana to protest against “astronomical” charges to make their homes legal.
Branded a success by organisors, La Plataforma Vecinos Afectados por la Regularización de Chiclana, estimates suggest at least 5000 demonstrators attended on March 20.
Protesting through the New Market residents shouted “this is robbery” over the Junta charges to install basic services such as electricty, water and sewage that are needed to make their homes legal.
Some households may have a bill of up to 100,000 euros with payment being demanded within a maximum of just six years.
“The Plataforma stressed that we do want to pay to make our homes legal but only at a just price and in keeping with the economic crisis,” explained marcher, Guillermina Ranirez Gray.
“What is being suggested is a kind of mortage with the council,” she added.
Speeches by Plataforma leaders insisted they wanted to pay “what is right” and that the time allowed to pay is crucial.
More than 15,000 homes are affected by the charges and it is estimated the legalisation process will cost 450 million euros.
Has this work gone out to REAL tender or has it just been handed to the usual cartels. Its not rocket science putting these services in but the prices seem astronomical.
If you dish out jokes and people laugh you just keep dishing out the jokes. This is Spain today.
Dumping the jokers would be a good start if you want to teach them to be serious. You are, after all the paymaster who keep them in the jesters’ court.
We went through an infrastructure event in Vera Almeria, about 4 years ago – it was an old urbanisation, built in the 70’s. Everything was crumbling – the community of 1800 households and 2 hotels paid for most of the revamp, with 16% being chucked in by Vera Ayuntamiento.
We dug up the streets and replaced sewage pipes, storm drains, drinking water pipes, the power network and the phone network.
We then retarmaced all the roads.
Our share cost us €4,000 (a 3 bed chalet of 160 M2 on a plot of 800 M2)