Former mayor quits politics

PEDREGUER'S only councillor on the PP has resigned after 17 years in local government after what he calls 'a magnificent experience', but says he still has regrets about what he and his party were unable to achieve.

Andrés Ferrer first entered the council on the right-wing party in 2003 and was mayor from 2007 to 2011 – the only PP member ever to hold this position in the Marina Alta town.

At a recent local government meeting, he announced his decision to bow out and thanked all the town hall staff and the councillors he had worked with.

“Between us, we've managed to improve quality of life for people in Pedreguer,” Ferrer said.

Even though his party was no longer in power – or even in coalition – Ferrer was the one who handed out the prize in the most recent Pedreguer Honour Awards to the association of relatives of dictator General Franco's victims, who are known to have been in common graves in Paterna (L'Horta Oest, Valencia province).

Ferrer's resignation is purely because he considers he has come to the end of the road in his political career.

“It's been a priceless experience, but there's no sense in carrying on being a councillor for all eternity,” he explained.

“My party has agreed to my resignation. Sooner or later you have to step aside to let new faces in.”

He says he feels 'very positive' about the changes achieved in his 17 years on the council – which included renovating the cultural centre and moving the sports centre during his time as mayor – but does have a few regrets.

“One thorn in my side is that we haven't got the new health centre yet,” Ferrer says.

“I think if my party had continued to govern, we would have been able to do it, because we had the plans already prepared.”