Alicante obtains authorization to use the San José de Tabarca tower for four years and asks the government to extend it to 75 years

This is what was presented this Monday in plenary commission of delegates on the archipelago. This authorization proposed by the Ministry envisages the transfer of use by the Town Hall for a period of four years, which can be extended each year for four additional years. However, the City Hall has announced its intention to request a general concession on the building from the Interior, which would allow this concession to be extended up to a maximum of 75 years.

“It is good news that they have responded to our request for a concession, but we consider that our rehabilitation and valorization project requires a longer transfer period as a guarantee, which is why we will ask the Ministry of the Interior to grant us a general concession, also subject to the conditions in the regulations,” said the deputy mayor. Manuel Villar.

In October 2022, the Alicante City Council requested the transfer of use of the San José Tower. Built in 1789 as defensive fortress of the island, the tower has been used since 1967 by the Civil Guard. It has an area of ​​1,075 square meters and is declared GOOD of Cultural interest (BIC), with full general protection.

The aim of the Alicante City Council is to integrate the said BIC into the global project of conservation of the heritage of the island that has been developing for years. New Museum of Tabarcafor the purpose of including it in a project rehabilitationits valorization and subsequent maintenance, allowing both its cultural, museum and public use, as well as its use by the body of the Civil Guard for their work monitoring on the island.

The municipal effort to recover and enhance the cultural heritage of the island is complemented by other ongoing actions, such as the development, by the Ministry of Infrastructure, of a project reform he building of services in which the Nueva Tabarca Museum is located, which is complemented by another project of the Department of Culture aimed at renewing and updating this museum.

The delegated commission of the Plenary on the island of Tabarca met this Monday in the plenary room of the City Hall, in the presence of representatives of all the municipal groups and, as guests, of the Association of Neighbors of Tabarca, the Association of Businessmen of the Hotel Industry of Alicante (Apeha) and the Tabarca Cultural Association.

New heliport

The urban planning advisor, Rocio Gomezand the Director General of the General Plan and Planning, Leticia Martín, reported on the progress of the development of the Special Plan for the Island of Tabarca. The company Gabinet D’Anàlisi Environmental i Territorial, SL, which was entrusted with the drafting of the initial strategic document and the draft plan, is currently finalizing the work and it is expected that both documents will be completed within two months, so that the main results will be presented at the next meeting of the Tabarca Commission, scheduled for November 18.

In addition, Urbanism also indicated that it is in talks with the Generality to determine the best location for a new heliport on the island.

Likewise, the vice-mayor and councilor for the Environment, Hygiene and Waste Management, Manuel Villar, presented the actions regarding the maintenance of green spaces of the island and cleaning, among which stands out the implementation of the “door-to-door” waste collection system for hotel establishments in order to avoid the presence of containers in their streets, the installation of new containers and the reinforcement of cleaning workers throughout the year, especially in summer.

In terms of tourism, the sector advisor, Ana Poquetexplained that the city council is working to achieve the “seasonal adjustment» and the « organization » of tourist flows on the island, through promotions at fairs or the promotion of activities such as observation of the stars throughout the year.