The Association for Environmental Education and Consumer (ADEAC) has decided to withdraw the blue flags that had been granted to the beaches of Los Pocillos, Matagorda and Pila de la Barrilla (Playa Chica) in Puerto del Carmen, maintaining only the one granted to Playa Grande. This was announced by the Tías City Council, which regrets that the organization "has not taken into account the effort made" by the City Council to comply with the required criteria.
In this regard, the Tías City Council states that it has invested "more than 290,000 euros" in the conditioning of the beaches of Puerto del Carmen and in compliance with the requirements demanded by the body that grants the blue flags. To this figure, it points out that it would be necessary to add the 405,000 euros spent on surveillance and lifeguard contracts for 2020 and 2021, conditioned by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, "despite this investment and the execution of numerous adaptation and beautification works", it assures that the ADEAC has decided to withdraw the blue flags from the beaches of Los Pocillos, Matagorda and Pila de la Barrilla (Playa Chica), although it considers that Playa Grande can keep it.
The government group, formed by PSOE, Lanzarote Avanza (LAVA) and Lanzarote en Pie-Sí Podemos, regrets that the organization "has not taken into account the effort made by the City Council to comply with the required criteria of legality, accessibility, health, environmental education, cleanliness and safety.
The mayor, José Juan Cruz, and the first deputy mayor and councilor for Beaches, Mame Fernández, detail that "in recent months considerable resources have been invested in the installation of wooden walkways, placement of shade areas, conditioning of ramps and railings, installation of showers, repair and fine-tuning of bathrooms, signage, etc.".
"The City Council staff has been dedicated to complying with the criteria established by the body that grants these distinctions and, unfortunately, it seems that we do not comply. For our part, we will continue working to continue with the positive assessment of the users of our beaches, both residents and visitors," says José Juan Cruz.
"We believe that the result of the work is good, because we not only invest and execute the work, but we also monitor the facilities and repair the damage. Our greatest interest is to have beaches and their surroundings in good condition," says Mame Fernández.
A "continuous" work
According to the Tías City Council, "in all the beaches accessibility for people with reduced mobility has been improved through the placement of new walkways and the replacement of those that were deteriorated". "Parking spaces for people with reduced mobility have been conditioned and shade areas have been installed on all beaches. To the adapted bathroom that existed in Playa Grande, others have been added in Pocillos and in Pila de la Barrilla", adds the City Council.
It also highlights that the bathrooms of Playa Grande, Pila de la Barrilla, Pocillos and Matagorda have been renovated. "Showers have been installed, the bins have been reorganized, removing them from the sand and placing them in the accesses, walls have been repaired and painted, railings and signage have been placed; and for the first time a first aid station has been installed on the beach of Los Pocillos, which did not have this service," he concludes.