Tom PowellVELEZ-MALAGA Town Hall has finally announced much-needed plans to redevelop one of the key roads in Torre del Mar.
Mayor Francisco Bonilla revealed that €683,000 is being invested in levelling pavements and replacing lights, electricity and water supply along the notoriously run-down Calle Princesa.
It is part of a wider project to rejuvenate Torre del Mar as a ‘flagship tourism town’.
“Traders and businessmen have long demanded the works on Calle Princesa,” admitted a councillor.
“We are continuing our ambitious investment plan to revitalise the town during a time of economic difficulties.”
Its’ good to see the investment, but realistically, Torre del Mar is light years away from a “flagship tourism town”. Parts of it (away from the immediate coast) are nothing better than slums. Nearby Velez even has shanty towns.
Fred are you sure, according to some posters on forums they are both wonderful places HaHa
Merry Grumpmas Fred!
Just simple facts Derek, you know, the stuff you don’t know about lol.
He’s a lost cause Derek – many posters are only happy when they whine constantly about another country. We didn’t get the tag “whining/whingeing pommes” by the Ozzies for nothing.
There are some working class areas in Torre Del Mar, but to describe them as slums displays either typical expat arrogance or ignorance, ( or both).
@Squiddy, you have perfectly demonstrated your total lack of knowledge about this area, mind you, you don’t even live in Spain so it’s not surprising.
A “flagship tourism town” doesn’t let its tram infrastructure rot away, it doesn’t let trees and weeds grow out of the drains, it doesn’t have dozens and dozens of empty shops, habitual beggars and squalid housing (just walk around Torre to see with your own eyes). Many businesses have moved to Nerja because of Torre del Mar’s downward slide. Torre needs a plan and its needs to attract more businesses.
To my knowledge, The Olive Press have never done a guide to Torre del Mar, please can they do one to help the businesses who are trying hard to survive there?
Fred gives honest opinions about Spain unlike the rosy spec brigade who try to pretend everything is ok in order to dupe moe people into making expensive mistakes.
Australians’ views about Brits are totally irrelevant ???? Lol
At this time he’ll have SCROOGE on a loop no doubt GUAQ! ha ha
@refill, Torre del Mar and Velez Malaga are the same municipality. Velez has just this past October started to rehome the last of the families who live in the shanty town area of Velez, and those places are slums. Many do not have running water, or sewage. If you walk around TDM at length, some of the living conditions are squalid, especially the high-rises and flats. It’s not Nairobi, but for a wealthy first world country with much wealth, it’s pathetic.
Derek, I would of course play the character ‘Fred’ in Scrooge; a genial man who loves Christmas. Btw, how poor living conditions in Velez is relevant to a character from Dickens is something only your strange mind will understand lol.
Fred’s so called ‘opinions’ about Spain, you really like Mike, are ones that would even try and depress The Grinch at this time of year! ha ha
Not a question whether I really like Fred’s opinions, what I do like is he tells it as it is with no rosy bullsh-t , I can even verify a lot of what he says about the crusty del sol, lol
Ah so that’s who you meant. I can see how you (of limited cerebral capacity) could confuse a children’s character with a character from Dickens lol. Best keep to topic Derek, then you wouldn’t make so many mistakes.
We know “Mike” doesn’t speak Spanish – I wonder if Fred does? Of course it doesn’t mean they can’t have an opinion, but I love it when someone who doesn’t even speak the language tries to discredit other people’s viewpoints on a country.
@Squiddy, I love it when a person who doesn’t even live in the country they talk about (you were found out earlier when you changed your alias and accidentally put a photo on your Gravatar, remember Squiddy lol) tells another person about it. In any event one doesn’t need to speak any languages to recognise that some areas of a town are dilapidated. For that we just need to look.
@Fred, the article is about Torre Del Mar, which although part of the municipality of Velez is a distinctly separate town. Anyone with local knowledge would know that.
As for your comment about walking around the town at length and seeing the squalid high rises and flats, you must have been to a different Torre Del Mar to the one I have lived in for several years. I live in one of the squalid apartments blocks of your imagination surrounded by local, hard working friendly people with nice homes.
The few Brits and many Germans who live in the town and outskirts love the place. It’s a nice Spanish town.
@refill, it obvious that TDM has a different identity from Velez if one is coastal and the other is not. In my opinion, some of the living conditions in Torre del Mar are squalid and dilapidated, and I stand by that as I have seen them myself. Many areas are run-down, especially the area around the bus station and El Copo, for example. How can a “flagship tourism town” have such a run-down transport hub for starters? Get real please.
I did not at any point say that the people are not hard-working or friendly. I think you are using that line of argument to deflect attention away from the other points I raised. Not everyone in Torre del Mar has a nice home or the income of the German residents.
@Fred, Torre Del Mar does not have a run down transport hub. It has a modern, busy little bus station. The tram service which closed may have survived if the genius who designed it had connected it to the bus station.
Every town has run down areas but there is very little of it in Torre Del Mar. The areas around the bus station and El Copo are not run down.
I know you didn’t say the people weren’t hard working or friendly. I mention to point out that they are not slum dwellers you imply in your first comment.
I personally don’t want them to turn Torre Del Mar into a ‘flagship tourist town’ but that’s a bit selfish of me if I’m honest. It’s packed in summer with Spanish holiday makers and I love it as it is.
In this wonderful digital age we live in where taking a picture costs nothing unlike the olden days would it be possible for more pictures per article. That way when you publish an article Headed “Run down roads to get repairs in Torre del Mar” readers can actually see what you are reporting about, and witness the run down state of the place.
@refill, the tram and lines are now derelict and the “modern” bus station you refer to is a bloke in a kiosk inside an old building with a leaking roof, a closed down bar, and a smelly toilet. Which part of it is modern exactly?
TDM is certainly much busier in the summer – with Spanish tourists. What about the rest of the year? Many businesses barely survive over the winter period. And I didn’t call anyone a slum dweller either, but of course you will say anything to distract attention away from easily verifiable facts. Clearly you haven’t explored the area.
@Fred, I’ve lived in Torre Del Mar for years, but you clearly you know everything there is to know about Spain, being a successful businessman. Its a shame you are unhappy in Spain, but you must accept that some of us are not and we don’t hate everything about our lives here. Since 1988, I’ve lived in Lisbon, Faro, Majorca, Marbella and now Torre Del Mar. It’s a good place to live. You can try and convince yourself and others that it’s awful, but I know it isn’t, but cheer up, I’m sure there’ll be something else in the Olive Press tomorrow for you to get your teeth into. Happy New Year!
@refill, why not answer the specific points I mentioned instead of resorting to personal insults? Why do you assume I am unhappy in Spain just because I say Torre del Mar has some dilapidated areas? Can we not talk about such things?Your inability to separate the two issues shows that you are unable to debate the issue properly, and to argue that TDM’s bus station is a “modern” facility shows the level of denial you are in.
Glad you like living in Spain refill, as do we. I know a few people who have lived all over the world but say they’d be happy to remain here forever.
Scrooge obviously doesn’t GET it here. A shame, but one he apparently LIKES?
Twisted.
My husband and I purchased a small flat in Algarrobo Costa in 2011 to escape the Swedish winters and we too have noticed the deterioration of Torre del Mar in the past few years especially with the closed down shops and lack of investment. Some buildings are in a terrible state of disrepair. We frequently use the bus station to visit Málaga and it badly needs updating. The paseo in Torre del Mar is lovely, but agree that some parts of the town are very run down. We mainly stay on the seafront area when visiting as that is very pleasent.
There are empty shop premises everywhere, I noticed that on my last visit to Nerja but it is the same all over the UK as well due to financial mess the world got itself into. I also feel that run down can be a bit misleading maybe giving the impression of lots of boarded up properties and abandoned cars. Most people have had to cut back on spending in the recession and as things get better so will the looks of an area.
I think that’s game, set and match to Fred! Well done Annika.
@Fred, disagreeing with your views is not an insult, though you are the master of insults and avoiding the issue, changing subject when things don’t go your way. Torre Del Mar is no different from any working town anywhere in Europe.
As for answering your specific points, I have pointed out that they are all exaggerations or just figments of your imagination.
It’s in Spain and full of Spanish people, that’s why you can’t stand it. Your first comment refered to parts of the town as no better than slums. Tell us where these slums are Fred so we locals can go have a look at them an take a few pics.
Refill…you are wasting your time Fred is just,negative,negative,negative, to the point that I’m surprised the OP allows his boring and ignorant comments are ALWAYS on here on every subject……….awaiting your comments Fred as always
@refill, as I mentioned, the shanty towns are in Velez and their removal and the rehousing of the families there has been covered in the Spanish and English press. Torre del Mar is a part of Velez, albeit situated on the coast.
Your mistake is saying a person doesn’t like Spain just because they point out easily verifiable facts, like the fact that the bus station is not modern in any way, and the fact that the tram service has been left to dereliction, and that parts of Torre del Mar are dilapidated. Even this article says the pavements lights, electricity and water supplies are “notoriously run-down”. No exaggerations, just easily verifiable facts.
So there are no slums in Toorre Del Mar after all. Thank you Fred.
@refill, you live in Velez, in an area called Torre del Mar. You need to get out more and look around; then you will see some very poor living standards, and yes, there are squalid and overcrowded urban streets inhabited by very poor people (the definition of “slum”) in both parts of Velez. There are such areas in most large towns and cities, I am not saying they are unique to Velez. Hope that helps you.