The first observation made by the Popular Party to the Special Plan of the Port of Arrecife (PEPA) is that the document, which aims to organize the port of the capital, is based on the basic adaptation of the General Plan of Arrecife to the laws of Territorial Planning of the Canary Islands, which is precisely in the revision phase due to the large number of errors detected.
However, in addition to the allegations regarding the cruise ship dock, the container dock and Puerto Naos, the PP emphasizes that the ideas competition for the Puerto - Ciudad action, which will ultimately trace the future of the port facility and its integration into the center of the capital, will be useless if the PEPA is modified. Currently, the preselected projects in said call are being evaluated by a jury that includes the mayor María Isabel Déniz and the Minister of Tourism of the Canarian Executive, Manuel Fajardo Feo, among others.
Allegations
The popular councilors María Dolores Luzardo and Eugenio Díaz registered the document of allegations to the PEPA at the Arrecife City Council this Thursday morning. The PP estimates that the new cruise ship dock, the main project of the Puerto - Ciudad action, should leave directly from the Islote del Francés with connection to the city to support commerce and leisure. According to the popular suggestion, the cruise ship dock, oriented towards the northeast, would serve to protect the entire bay and the port area, both with southern weather and with northeast winds.
The PP councilors assure that the cruise ship dock, as it is projected, is not operational since it would only have capacity for medium-sized ships without transatlantic ships of more than 50,000 tons being able to dock. "As planned in the PEPA, the dock does not connect with the city and cruise passengers would not have direct access to the center of the capital," Luzardo commented.
One of the conclusions of the PP in the document of allegations points to the elimination of the shoulder and the breakwater of the current Naos dike, clearing the area, eliminating filling and leaving the entire dock for a marina. The current entrance to the Naos dike, the PP warns, must have a bridge with a greater opening to facilitate the flow of water. "We express our disagreement with the bridge in the middle of the bay because it divides the Naos area and reduces its operability."
Container dock
Luzardo said that her party opposes the expansion of the container dock where it is planned due to the impact it would have on the Castle of San José and La Arena beach. The popular alternative refers to locating the dock in Punta del Fraylillo, for containers, oil tankers, dangerous goods and alternative fuels. With this proposal, the PP highlights, the current Los Mármoles dock would allow the docking of ships from the north, being sheltered by the container dock. Likewise, the current container dock could be used as a fishing port, "which in fact is currently used assiduously by the southern area."
No to a hotel
Another of the allegations to the PEPA has to do with the possible construction of a hotel in the port influence zone. The PP is in total disagreement due to the "opposition to the Island Territorial Planning Plan (PIOT) in the control of tourist beds. Luzardo also argues that in the city there are several hotels of different categories that can cover the future demand for accommodation in the port
Port of the future
The PP, which also demands a Port Authority so that the port is managed from Lanzarote, considers that if the government group and in general all the political groups with representation in the Municipal Corporation attend to their allegations, a port of the future will be projected, with operational solvency and with real possibilities of expanding it in 2020. According to the PP, the problems regarding the loading and unloading of containers, the current difficulties presented by cruise tourism and also the obstacles suffered by the fishing sector would be solved. The allegations to the Special Plan of the Port of Arrecife may be submitted until October 30.
More observations
The populares say they have no knowledge of the constitution of the PEPA Monitoring Commission or of the agreements that may have been reached, if it has been constituted and met. The PP recalls that there is a collaboration agreement signed between the Arrecife City Council and the Port Authority, since July 1, 2004, through which said Commission would be constituted. On the other hand, the PEPA document does not clarify the competent public administration that has to carry out and finance the so-called Environmental Surveillance Plan.
