The Plenary of the Provincial Council of Almeria has approved this morning its roadmap to continue bringing sports and cultural activities closer to the 103 municipalities of the province. In addition to giving the go-ahead to the Provincial Plans governing the Culture and Cinema and Sports Areas, the deputies have ratified a new investment package to equalise opportunities and fix the population in Turre, Partaloa, Olula de Castro and Chercos.
For the first time in history, this morning’s plenary session was held in a hybrid format, in person and online, thus allowing the participation of two of the deputies who are currently on medical and maternity leave.
Provincial Culture and Film Plan
The Plenary has approved the Provincial Culture and Film Plan which aims to collect, promote and disseminate culture in the 103 municipalities of the province of Almeria and this year places special emphasis on the Bicentenary of the creation of the province and the Diputación.
The Deputy for Culture and Cinema, Almudena Morales, has highlighted the valuable work being done to ensure that all municipalities have access to Culture and Cinema: «This Provincial Council should be proud: it carries out magnificent work and programming, always taking into account the idiosyncrasies of each municipality, taking into account their traditions and above all the requests of the councils and those who know their towns best. Thanks to the work of the Diputación, the smaller municipalities can have a wide-ranging cultural programme of a high standard.
In the same way, Morales explained that the Provincial Council goes far beyond the mere granting of subsidies, as happens in other provinces: «Here we programme, advise and help the municipalities to put on their most important and relevant events: With the effort and sometimes the difficulty involved in programming, counter-programming and coordinating and adapting the dates for each municipality. Without the Diputación, many events of the highest level and prestige, already recognised at provincial, regional and national level, would not be a reality»,
In this sense, the Provincial Culture Plan includes a specific line to help the Municipal Music Bands of the province through the programme ‘Banda Sonora de tu pueblo’, which is still in full design and development thanks to the participation of FEDERBAND and the town councils. As everything requested by the Socialist Group was previously included, the plenary approved its amendment.
Provincial Sports Plan
The Provincial Sports Plan 2023, which has been approved with the abstention of the PSOE, stands out for maintaining the line of growth with a budget increase of around 200,000 euros. This strategic document continues to conceive sport as a vehicle to promote health and values among the people of Almeria and promotes the binomial tourism and sport by increasing investment in events, provincial circuits and sports games, among others. In addition, this Plan has as its guiding principle the collaboration with municipalities and the different entities of the provincial sports ecosystem (clubs, federations, associations, companies in the sector…).
Among the programmes and projects are the different lines of Almería Activa (Urbac, Events), the great commitment to grassroots sport (Almería Juega Limpio); as well as the lines of aid to local councils and the Plan to improve the Moisés Ruiz Pavilion.
The spokesman for the Government team, Fernando Giménez, has congratulated the Deputy for Sport and the entire technical team of the Sports Area: «This Plan meets the objective set by the Government team to plan the work of all areas through consultation and participation with the municipalities. This is demonstrated by the preparation of the Local Facilities and Equipment Plans for 97 municipalities with less than 20,000 inhabitants, which is fundamental for the future of their sporting development».
In this sense, Giménez has assured that the only municipality that has asked to cover its sports courts has been Padules and will have an economic endowment to achieve it. This is why «it is incomprehensible» the «opaque» amendment presented by the Socialist Group 24 hours before the plenary «trying to supplant the local autonomy» of the other municipalities.
More investment for the province of Almería
During this morning’s plenary session, the first list of 2023 Provincial Plan actions was approved, which will continue to improve and modernise infrastructures and public services in the 103 municipalities and the smaller local entity of Fuente Victoria.
Specifically, the green light has been given for €1,303,500 which, added to those already in the pipeline, amounts to more than 150 actions worth €50,859,474.99 which aim to increase and optimise the services that the local councils provide to citizens throughout the province by means of the 2020-23 Provincial Plans.
These new approved investments will enable the execution of urbanisation projects in Turre, as well as the improvement of streets and municipal roads in Partaloa and, in addition, the construction of a children’s playground in Olula de Castro and a warehouse in the Chercos Industrial Estate.
Motions
On the other hand, the plenary has rejected the PSOE motion for the creation of a Provincial Heritage Council and a line of aid to question the «unequivocal» commitment of the Provincial Council with the historical heritage and to transcend its content of the own powers of the institution.
Giménez recalled that the commitment to heritage is demonstrated with deeds, as does the council, and not with motions. «When they governed in the Junta, not only did they not defend the heritage, but they destroyed it with examples such as the drilling of the millenary walls of the Alcazaba, the use of steel – corten in the Walls of Jairán or the delivery of a Provincial Hospital in complete ruin. We have bought the Cortijo del Fraile and we have recovered the old Provincial Hospital».
Similarly, the government team has dismantled a motion in which the PSOE accused Galasa of cutting off water to vulnerable people, when previously the town councils were notified so that they could advise whether or not those affected were vulnerable people.
Likewise, Giménez has assured that the PSOE is confusing the people of Almeria by trying to blame the Social Services, who have worked diligently, for a problem completely unrelated to them and has challenged him to demonstrate what they do in the Mancomunidad del Bajo Andarax, where Juan Manuel Ruiz del Real, is president: «You have done nothing to avoid water cuts. You did not communicate with the town councils when they informed you of vulnerable people not attending to the town councils in that region and you cut off their water».
Finally, the president regretted that the PSOE continues to refuse to form part of Galasa’s decision-making bodies and has reached out to them to be represented on the Board of Directors: «It is a contradiction to demand here something that they are not capable of doing from the Board, because they refused to form part of it. I hold out my hand to you to subtract a deputy from the Partido Popular so that you can join».