News Archive from Andalucia & Costa del Sol
In association with
Week January 10 to January 16
OBE AWARD FOR CUDECA'S JOAN HUNT
Joan Hunt, president and founder of Cudeca, was delighted to be awarded an OBE, included in the Diplomatic and Overseas section of the Queen's New Year Honours List, for services to cancer care in Souther Spain. Joan Hunt was overjoyed at hearing the news and said she could hardly believe it at first and had to ring the British Consulate for confirmation. She praised the organisation she founded in 1991 adding: "This is a tribute not just to me but to all those who have supported Cudeca, especially the highly professional medical team and those working in Centro Cudeca". Over the years her project for building a hospice has turned into a reality. Cudeca has turned into a large international organisation with a medical team that has provided home palliative care for nearly 2,000 terminally ill cancer patients, has more than 400 volunteers, eight benefit shops and organises hundreds of fund raising events.
TORREMOLINOS BUILDING IMPASSE
Town
Hall to propose new planning ordinance
By David Eade
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT WILL ONLY LIFT THE BAN PLACED ON ALL BUILDING PROJECTS IN TORREMOLINOS IF A NEW PLANNING ORDINANCE, TO BE DRAWN UP BY THE TOWN HALL, MEETS ITS APPROVAL.
On
December 15, 2000, regional government placed a block on all future
developments in Torremolinos. The embargo will only be lifted once
the town reaches an agreement with the authorities on the implementation
on a new town planning ordinance. The delegate of Public Works in
Málaga Province, Enrique Salvo, said that Torremolinos had
not been in touch to discuss the matter.
The provincial planning delegate has called on the local government
team to design a new planning proposal for the town, which would
then go to regional government for further study. Both the PSOE
and IU parties have called for a new Town Plan at council meetings.
NEW ORDINANCE TO FAVOUR HOTELS
Two planning applications being studied by Torremolinos Town Hall are causing concern at regional government level. One involves the reclassification of land near the toll motorway, with proposals to build a 24-storey hotel. The other is a modification to the hotel ordinance, which would permit hotels to increase their area by between 20 and 25 per cent.
ESTEPONA LAND AUCTION DELAY
The planned auction by Estepona Town Hall of a valuable plot of
land by the port has been held up, as regional government has not
given its approval for the sale to proceed. The previous administration
decided on the auction after annulling the sale of the site to Constructor
Marín Hillinger. That decision was upheld by the new PP council
led by Mayoress Rosa Díaz.
The high value of the site means that its sale must be approved
by regional government. The land is said to have a value of 28.25
million euros, although the Town Hall hopes it might reach 42.07
million euros at auction. The property has planning permission for
a maximum of 1,000 dwellings, but opponents to the sale claim it
is also possible the land could be used for an enlargement of the
port area.
BRIT CON FLEES TO THE COSTA
Police believe convict will try to cash peseta haul into euros
By David Eade
BRITISH POLICE ARE ON THE TRAIL OF ESCAPED CONVICT GRAHAM ASHCROFT WHO WALKED OUT OF KIRKHAM OPEN PRISON NEAR PRESTON, LANCASHIRE, AROUND THREE WEEKS AGO AND HASN'T BEEN SEEN SINCE.
Police
believe he has fled to Spain to cash around one million pounds worth
of pesetas into euros before the currency becomes worthless.
Ashcroft,
42, plus an accomplice, used their inside knowledge of the lorry
haulage trade to break into containers then lift the contents. The
trial judge described Ashcroft as "the brains behind an operation
to steal valuable property including wine, beer and bikes".
He was ordered to pay compensation of £737,170, but did not
do so.
Police are convinced that the bulk of Ashcroft's haul is in pesetas.
A Lancashire police spokesman told the media: "There is a theory
Ashcroft needed to get to Spain to convert his money before the
euro deadline. We don't know where he is but would urge anybody
who spots him to get in touch."
EASY ESCAPE
On conviction Ashcroft was sent to Kirkham which is a category D
open prison. The regime is such that inmates are allowed to come
and go as they please. Up till his disappearance Ashcroft had behaved
like a model prisoner. He had served just over 12 months of a seven
and a half year sentence. If recaptured he will be sent to a more
secure jail.
Graham Ashcroft could well be mixing with the crowds on the Costa
as he attempts to convert his peseta haul into the new euro currency.
Time is not on his side. He has until March 1 to make the switch.
Pesetas can still be converted into euros after that date but only
via the banks who will be on full alert for any suspicious transactions.
DEATH VICTIM IN SPECTACULAR ACCIDENT
A spectacular accident took place in benalmadena's Marina when a car fell into the water, which resulted in the death of a young Ucranian man of 20 years of age. The young woman driver of the car managed to escape out of the car and swam to safety. The victim was knocked on the head and probably lost consciousness and died from asphyxia. Divers who managed to extract his body from the car three hours later already found him dead. The accident took place at 3.30 hours and the exact causes are unknown although police believe the accident happened when the driver entered the roundabout at a high speed.
POLICE HUNT FRENCH SUSPECT KILLER
Police
in Torremolinos are searching for a Frenchman who they believe is
responsible for the killing of an Algerian. The man they are seeking
is described as being 'very dangerous' and has been previously convicted
for numerous offences.
The killing took place near a discothèque in the Avenida
Montemar in Torremolinos. The victim, a 50-year-old Algerian, was
first said to have been stabbed. However, police now say the dead
man and presumed murderer had an argument during which the deceased
was shot.
NEW POLICE CHIEF FOR BENALMÁDENA
Facilities
claimed to be 'insufficient' prompt Mayor to find solutions
By David Eade
THE NEW NATIONAL POLICE CHIEF OF TORREMOLINOS AND BENALMÁDENA, CARLOS VÁZQUEZ, HAS MADE HIS FIRST VISIT TO BENALMÁDENA TO SEE HIS FORCE'S FACILITIES WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY.
This
is all part of a process in which Sr Vázquez intends to discover
the problems faced by his officers in both population centres.
During his tour of Benalmádena, Sr Vázquez visited
the town's Mayor, Enrique Bolín. He said he wished to meet
the Mayor personally, to start a good working relationship in order
to tackle the security problems faced by the municipality.
Speaking after visiting his force's offices in Arroyo de la Miel,
Sr Vázquez described the facilities as "insufficient".
This prompted Enrique Bolín to assure the new police chief
that his administration was studying a plan to give the national
police more space by allowing them to take over in May facilities
currently used by the local police.
SEPARATE WAYS FOR TORREMOLINOS AND BENALMÁDENA?
Sr Bolín also explained to Sr Vázquez that he had held a number of meetings in Madrid with both officials of the Ministry of the Interior and Director General of Police. In these sessions, Mayor Bolín told the authorities that Benalmádena should have its own National Police headquarters and not share policing with Torremolinos.
VÉLEZ
HIT BY VIOLENT STORMS
By
Eve Gallagher
THE EAST COAST HAS SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE FROM THE STORMS, WITH WAVES THAT THREATENED OVER 20 HOUSES IN THE COASTAL PART OF VÉLEZ.
Over
150,000 square metres of beaches have been lost to the sea in the
Vélez coastal area. Torrox, Algarrobo and Torre del Mar have
also suffered damage and on the other side of the coast the beach
of Santa Ana in Benalmádena disappeared under the waves.
But the main damage and threat is to the coastal part of Vélez,
in the areas of Lagos and Mezquitilla, where homes were seriously
threatened.
The local councillor said that this area was already a source of
worry and that repeated petitions to the Coastal Authority had gone
unheeded. Eleven homes in Lagos and 12 in Mezquitilla urgently need
the protection of breakwaters.
BEACHES LOST IN TORROX AND BENALMÁDENA
In the case of Torrox the storms mainly damaged the beach of Ferrara,
where a lot of sand was lost. The vice president of the Association
of the Axarquía underlined the importance of the adverse
impact to tourism, and said that the coastal area would need a big
investment in order to recover.
Benalmádena's beach of Santa Ana totally disappeared under
the waves, prompting concern as to the resulting state of the beaches
that suffer continual loss of sand. The high winds also caused the
'telecabina' to cancel all trips for the third consecutive day.
MUSEO
DE ARTES NEARS COMPLETION
By
David Eade
Work
could start soon on finishing the construction of Fuengirola's troubled
Museo de Artes y Costumbres project. The building programme has
been paralysed since the Town Hall cancelled the contract of Constructora
Hispánica because of various delays.
Now a local company, Profasán, has stepped forward with an
offer to complete the construction work. The proposal has been accepted
by the Town Hall. The authority has made it clear that it wishes
to see the 302.910 euros project completed by October 31 of this
year.
The Councillor for Tourism, Cristóbal Calvo, said: "The
museum is supposed to be a new alternative, not only for tourists
to visit, but also for local culture and leisure." Sr Calvo
also expressed his hope that the construction work would now proceed
speedily and be opened by the new deadline.