Laurence Dollimore
THE PSOE in Marbella have blasted the town hall for allegedly ‘dumping vital projects’ in order to pay for the upcoming Davis Cup tie.
Former Socialist mayor Jose Bernal said certain projects have disappeared from the 2018 budget while costs to the Davis Cup could reach well above €2 million.
Since removed projects include an already approved swimming pool, which Bernal said is ‘so necessary for our clubs, especially water polo.’
He added: “We want to make it very clear that we are in favor of Marbella hosting major sporting events, which also contribute to the tourism sector of the municipality, but that should be done in moderation, with spending that takes us away from the waste and that also allows investing in base sports.”
The Socialist councilor added that ‘we can not blindly agree that €2 million is to be spent on the Davis Cup just so mayor Angeles Muñoz can expand her photo album while the athletes of Marbella and San Pedro are left without investments’.
He claims the cancelling of a new pool at Guadaiza, the closing of the sports centre in La Campana and the cancelling of another indoor pool in Marbella have all been to make way for the initial Davis Cup costs of €1,020,727.
He added that the PP ‘does not include any’ sports infrastructure in the budget for 2018.
“They abandon the base sports. In the budget there is no pool, there is not the La Campana sports center, there is no reform of the Serrano Lima, nor the Paco Cantos, nor the improvements of the Vigil de Quiñones, nor the performances on the athletics track,” he said.
Bernal also said the €2 million mark could be much higher for the Davis Cup because ‘the City of Marbella has lost its transparency and we are not being provided with official data.’
He then recalled that ‘they told us that the Davis Cup would cost €400,000, an amount which has already been far exceeded’.
“Now we are meeting with more expenses every day, and we demand from the government team clarity with the Davis Cup and that the returns to Marbella be demonstrated, especially in the event that Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray do not play, or that, when held outdoors in early February, it could rain,” he added.
