The spokesperson for Coalición Canaria San Bartolomé, David Rocío, announces the request for an Extraordinary Plenary Session to address several of the concerns recently conveyed by residents during a meeting held in Playa Honda, in which matters related to the Health Center, the proliferation of mobile phone antennas, and the problem of empty housing and coexistence conflicts derived from occupation were discussed.
From Coalición Canaria they emphasize that this initiative “does not arise from a political whim nor from a gratuitous confrontation strategy,” but from the commitment publicly acquired with the residents during that citizen meeting. “Coalición Canaria was there, listening, taking note and committing to the citizenry. And today we keep our word,” states David Rocío.
The nationalist formation recalled that institutional representatives such as the president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, as well as the director of the Health Area of Lanzarote, Erasmo García, did attend that meeting, and they responded directly to the residents' concerns related to the future of the Playa Honda Health Center.
“While other public officials showed up and personally attended to the residents, the mayor of San Bartolomé decided not to attend despite being invited. Many residents interpreted that absence as a lack of interest in the real problems the municipality is experiencing,” points out David Rocío in reference to the mayor, Isidro Pérez.
Coalición Canaria considers the housing situation in the municipality to be particularly worrying and wants to focus the debate of the Extraordinary Plenary Session on the need to act on the high number of empty homes currently existing in San Bartolomé, which different estimates place at around 1,500. “We cannot continue to look the other way while many families and young people have enormous difficulties accessing housing and, at the same time, there are hundreds of properties closed for years,” Rocío defends.
In this regard, the proposal put forward by Coalición Canaria includes measures aimed at mobilizing empty housing towards social or affordable rental formulas with guarantees for owners, as well as the creation of a Municipal Housing and Occupation Office, rapid action protocols from Social Services, economic and fiscal aid, integration and employment programs for vulnerable people, and the reinforcement of security and coexistence in the most sensitive areas of the municipality.
David Rocío insists that the objective is to address this reality “from responsibility, balance, and municipal competencies,” moving away from discourses that only seek to “radicalize the debate.” “Here, the important thing is to face the problem of housing and coexistence with useful and serious measures, thinking about the residents and not about political confrontation,” he adds.
Another of the issues that will be brought before the Extraordinary Plenary Session will be the need to regulate the installation of mobile phone antennas in the municipality. During the neighborhood meeting, numerous residents expressed their concern about the location of certain radioelectric infrastructures in residential areas and sensitive spaces.
Given this situation, Coalición Canaria will propose initiating the drafting of a Municipal Ordinance Regulating Radioelectric Infrastructures and Mobile Phone Antennas, with the aim of ordering technological deployment while guaranteeing the landscape, residential, and tourist protection of the municipality.
“During the meeting, we already presented to the residents a model ordinance on which we wanted to open the debate and work from municipal competencies. We do listen and we do take steps to offer solutions,” explained the nationalist spokesperson.
Coalición Canaria emphasizes that this Extraordinary Plenary Session represents “a democratic obligation” and an opportunity for the governing group to “stop hiding and clearly position itself on issues that seriously concern citizens.”
“Against an absent government disconnected from the reality of the street, Coalición Canaria will continue to exercise a useful, close, and committed opposition with the residents of Playa Honda and the entire municipality. Because when we give our word, we keep it,” concludes David Rocío.
Add La Voz de Lanzarote as a preferred Google source.
Stay informed with the latest current news.
