Injured cyclist rescued
ON FRIDAY morning, Villajoyosa local police assisted in the rescue of a mountain biker who fell off his machine while up a mountain between Orxeta and Villajoyosa.
The emergency services received a phone call during the morning to say that a biker required medical assistance.
The cyclist had injured a leg while descending from El Cantal summit, which is only accessible by narrow pathways for walkers and cyclists from the old Busot road.
Villajoyosa police arrived on the scene and gave initial assistance to the injured man, but due to the rugged terrain, it was impossible to get an ambulance close enough to
take him to hospital, so the emergency rescue helicopter was called in to transport him. Local police reminded cyclists and walkers who practice sport in areas that are difficult to access to always
carry their mobile phone, so they can alert emergency services if they run into trouble and can provide their exact location using the device's GPS.
WORK to restore the seaside promenade along Playa de la Glea in Campoamor, Orihuela Costa has been completed by Orihuela town hall.
However, the council was unable to repair Avenida de las Adelfas, the road which runs alongside the promenade, because the national coast department (Costas) denied them permission.
The road and the promenade ran across the mouth of the Nacimiento river, which is normally a dry riverbed but turned into a raging torrent of water during the September 2019 storms, ripping up the concrete as it flowed into the sea.
Councillor for infrastructure Ángel Noguera explained that the work that was carried out had a budget of €72,003.
It consisted of replacing the stone block wall along the seafront, filling in potholes and paving the promenade, the pavements and some of the road, as well as replacing the drinking water and street lighting systems, signposting and road markings, and street furniture and lampposts.
Sr Noguera explained that it was not possible to replace the road because the area it covered is public domain coastland and therefore controlled by the Costas department, a subdivision of the ministry for ecological transition.
As a result traffic heading along Avenida de las Adolfas has to be diverted via Calles
Rambla de Nacimento and Miguel de Unamuno in order to cross the dry riverbed.
He said they have lodged a complaint against the decision as a preliminary step to a possible legal appeal.
The town hall’s argument is based on the ‘Centro Turístico Campoamor’ special town plan for the area, which was approved by the government in 1969. This plan was declared to be ‘in the public interest’ prior to the area being designated as public domain, which the councillor believes to be grounds to replace the road.
Sr Noguera added that the council has also cleaned up and restored the banks of the Río Nacimiento at the river mouth.
DESPITE objections from many sectors, the regional government has stated that it does not have the powers to prevent motorhomes parking up overnight.
The Costa Blanca coastline is a popular destination for campervans but increasingly residents are reporting that they are fed up with owners who park up in public car parks or on residential streets to avoid having to pay fees at authorised sites.
Some have complained that they have witnessed instances of irresponsible campervanners discharging their waste onto the street and setting up tables and chairs on the pavement. Just this week, there were five motorhomes parked up in the public car park behind Consum supermarket in Albir, directly next to a block of apartments.
The owners had made themselves
comfortable, with deckchairs out and washing hanging out to dry, yet just a few kilometres away there are three touring sites all half empty, like the one directly overlooking the sea on Altea front.
One of the residents overlooking the car park complained not only about the noise but also the eyesore just metres from her window.
The adjoining car park has a height restriction barrier, which prevented them gaining access but it backs onto a parade of shops which require deliveries made by taller vehicles hence the absence of a barrier.
On the boundary into Alfaz del Pi there is a sign stating ‘no caravans’ which also includes motorhomes.
According to Altea town hall, they can park but cannot take out furniture or pull awnings out ‘as that would be classified as camping’.
Local police in Alfaz are aware of the areas that they tend to congregate in, such as the Consum carpark, and make regular checks.
But equally, the owners are very aware of the law and know their rights, according to the town hall.
Responsible owners do go to regulated campsites to empty their chemical toilets, where they are issued with a receipt which they can present to the police if requested.
According to the national traffic department (DGT), motorhomes are classified as ‘cars’, therefore owners can legally park up overnight in car parks.