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Date Published: 11/10/2021

ARCHIVED - 2021 has been the worst year: these are the Cartagena towns that desperately need help

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

Shoddy maintenance work to parks and pavements in coastal towns in the Region of Murcia has residents up in arms

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - 2021 has been the worst year: these are the Cartagena towns that desperately need help

In El Carmolí, it’s the clearing of weeds and bushes on streets with damaged or non-existent pavements; in Mar de Cristal, the litter on the beach and the state of the streets along the coast; in La Manga, piled up waste next to the rubbish containers at weekends; in Los Nietos, abandoned weeds; in La Azohía, the tree cuttings left all over the floor; and in Isla Plana, the general rundown feel of El Mojón.

In each of these towns along the Cartagena coast, residents are fed up with deficiencies in their municipal services, noting a lack of “a coordinated plan to tackle everything.”

The first half of 2021 could be fairly labelled the period with the worst coastal maintenance services in the last five years, not least of all because of the termination of a contract with the Municipal Institute of Coastal Services (Imsel), which stopped operations back in 2017. “The supervision then was constant and sometimes you didn't even have to call. Now, even if notify them of something, it takes days before they react,” said Gimena Bertachini, from La Manga.

It’s true that in July and August, more staff were put to work cleaning the streets of coastal Murcia and carrying out repairs, but in the low season, the number of services plummets.

“After these months with a high influx of holidaymakers, we have the feeling that those of us who have homes here will once again be a little forgotten,” said Sabater, from Mar de Cristal, and Antonio Donaire, from El Carmolí.

For their part, the council has stressed that “before, everything was dealt with by a single municipal service, integrated with its own staff and organised directly by the Ayuntamiento, which did all the cleaning, maintenance and gardening work. Now there is a design of contracts that allows, with municipal supervision, better sized services to be provided.”

La Manga

Problems with rubbish collection at weekends, with the outdated rubbish bins, and with the cleaning of the container areas.

Mar de Cristal

Poor condition of parks, such as the one at the entrance to the urbanisation, and the pavements and asphalt on many streets, especially along the seafront. A lack of new equipment in children’s playgrounds and exercise equipment for the elderly

Los Nietos

Problems in Los Nietos Viejos and in squares such as El Ancla and Cuatro Santos, plus several plots of land with untended weeds.

El Carmolí

Streets without pavements where weeds are not removed. Parks and sports areas with overgrown vegetation. In the Parque del Real the bushes grow out of control every time it rains.

La Azohía

Uncollected prunings in the ditches, and non-existent or unkempt pavements on the beach road and innumerable potholes and ancient lampposts in the San Ginés urbanisation.

Isla Plana

Potholes, street lamps without lights, and general messiness in the El Mojón urbanisation. Repairs needed to the social centre. Reeds left on the beach.

Image: Archive

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