My email jiminysimpson@gmail.com

My email jiminysimpson@gmail.com

Friday, March 28, 2014

Pleno Meeting 27th March

We held a Plenary meeting of the council last evening at 6.0pm. The points on the agenda were as follows, Regulation of the Tanatorio, Approval of the conditions and contract to be considered for the Tanatorio, establishment of beneficial taxation for the opening of local businesses, approval of municipal budget for 2014, modification of the project regarding the road surfacing recently completed, determination of internal fees and finally the decision to start the process over to apply for a new school for the village (this had been started previously in about 2006).

All these motions were passed although not without vigorous questioning and complaints from the opposition. I used to get annoyed at this as it seems so pedantic but I suppose it is important that the administration is fully held to account by the opposition even though it was after 9.0pm by the time we finished.

Kiko was unable to attend due to being in hospital for an operation on his arm, Sampo was away on travels and Ana also sent her apologies.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

New Regular Bus Service

Announced today is a new regular daily bus service by Alsa as shown on the poster below.


Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Final Street Sign list

This is the final list for request for street name signs. I will ask them to order 2 of each. If any missing please let me know


Calle Dinamarca
Calle Diego Gerrado
Calle Averroes
Pasaje Canada del Herrero
Calle Albert Einstein
Calle Carl Von Linneo
Calle Sierra de Cazorla y Las Villas
Calle Austria
Calle Palencia
Calle Montenegro
Calle Rio Mino
And Palaces del Era (street name to be ascertained).

Friday, March 21, 2014

Archena Trip


The below detailed trip has been organised by the Town Hall. There are limited places so if you wish to go please put your name down asap. It will only be open to those who have a Spanish medical card.




Thursday, March 20, 2014

PGOU & Street Signs

We had a lengthy meeting yesterday morning during which we went over our provisional PGOU. Those responsible for  drawing the plans up were there, including the main architect. He already had maps outlining all the areas and what we want to see as urban or urbanisable and including sewerage systems and pipework. We were basically checking that these plans reflect the areas and designations we want for the municipality and locating green areas and infrastructure etc.

The reason we hope to move things forward now is due to a decree which the Junta passed in 2012 which allows for the inclusion of areas under a rule of 'asentamiento'. Simply put this means that whereas previously, they would not accept any buildings which were built after 2000, they will now accept buildings, which are in existence. It still requires Plan Parcials for certain sectors which involves more work for the architect and all Camino Reales or Via Pecuarias have to be sacrosanct but we think we can draw up a plan which will be acceptable. Following this decrees' ruling we believe almost all properties can be incorporated into our PGOU and, the drawing up of this plan, has been done in agreement with the Junta and complying with their decree of 2012. Once we had finished with it the architect was taking it away to finalise it and he hopes to have it available for public examination and comment by the 15th April After which there will be  a 3 month period of consultation before it is submitted for approval by the Junta.  So we will hopefully have progress this year.

Secondly I have received requests for the following street signs to be ordered Calle Dinamarca, Calle Diego Gerrado, Calle Averroes, Calle Isaac Newton, Calle Carl Von Linneo, Calle Sierra de Cazorla y Las Villas, Calle Austria, Calle Palencia and Pasaje Canada del Herrero. This is the final time of asking if you or anyone you know has a street which does not have a name sign please let me lknow asap so that I can include it in the order.

Lastly the latest list of people who need to confirm they are on the padron are as follows,
Alan D J Bray,Rosalind J Ferrand, Christine Susan Filkins, Clive Filkins, Keith Porter, Jennifer Porter,Diane E Shaw, Joseph D Shaw, Jack C Smith, Jonathan M Such,Sadie A Such,Valerie A Veal.
I will try and contact thse individuals by telephone but in case I fail I am listing them here. If you know them please ask them to pop into the TH to confirm they should still be on the Padron. As usual it is purely a bureaucratic thing.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Tourism Fair in Zurgena

I called down to see how the fair was going this afternoon and to take part in the guided tour of the villages, which I had been told, and published on the blog, was at 5.0pm today and tomorrow for english speakers. I was wrong! The two tours which I am now informed were bilingual were at 1.30pm and 3.30pm and will be again tomorrow. My apologies to those who were disappointed today.

The fair has a tapas and wine bar provided by Catering Bonillo from Zurgena and a number of craft type stalls selling differing goods and wine and beer stalls, but I also found one interesting stall for La Posada del Candil in Seron and looking at it in the internet looks a lovely place for a night or two away, particularly if you like Seron ham!

Friday, March 14, 2014

PGOU & Bowling

Was it at the beginning of this week when I said it was going to be a quiet week in the Town Hall. Well I was wrong!!

We have had a number of issues around the bowling green which have required discussions between the contractors and ourselves, but I think, and hope, we have covered those off now. We also had a long discussion about the management of the green going forward and there are a few options which we will explore in the next days and weeks to make sure we get it right. We also need to discuss the monies needed and the ways of financing the additional equipment and infrastructure needed and how this should be financed. The most urgent from my point of view was a security fence around the green as it is too open to kids who will find it attractive to play about on, and we do not want that.

Secondly, today, we had a very interesting and optimistic meeting regarding the Provisional PGOU. The TH has, again, had a team working on this for the past few months and due to amendments to the law etc they have been working with the Junta. Our meeting today was to seek the support of the managing councillors to the approach currently being undertaken, with future meetings arranged to take this forward. All I can say at the moment is that things are continuing to look more and more optimistic. I will update the blog as and when I can release more information.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Urgent Volunteers & Very Interesting Meeting

Firstly I have an urgent request from Sampo Pentilla the Councillor for Tourism who is organising this weeks Tourism  Fair. He has me to try and help him get 10 english speaking volunteers to assist on the day. Their responsibilities would be to keep the area tidy and clean and to help any english speaking visitors with any issues or questions they may have. Those who do volunteer would be wearing a black tee shirt with the TH logo and the volunteer on the back. Sampo has asked that anyone who would like to assist should contact him directly on his mobile 607 484 414. So no need to contact me just give Sampo a call or pop into the TH. I apologise for the lateness of the request but I was only made aware of this need last night.

Secondly spent all this morning in a meeting with various people discussing ways forward regarding our licencing issues. I hope to have some positive news in the near future which I can publish. I have to be careful in what, and how, I disseminate this information as we move forward.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Tourism Fair & Bowling Green

Firstly regarding the Tourism Fair at the Renfe in La Alfoquia, this weekend, it will run during Saturday and Sunday from 1200 until 2000 on Saturday, and 1200 until 1800 Sunday. There will be a range of tourism based stalls displaying on both days. Catering Bonillo will be dispensing snacks and selling some food and all the local restaurants have been told to be at their best to showcase the area. There will also be an english speaking tour of the village starting at 5.0pm, on both days, from the Renfe building, which I will certainly hope to enjoy. Bear in mind that there are events for the children details on the posters around the area have a breakdown of times for those events. It is anticipated that this will be an annual event and hopefully bigger each year.

Secondly it is with great pleasure that I can report the next stage in the preparation of the bowling green is being carried out this week (see pics below). The contractors were subcontracted from the original contract and are hopeful of completing the surfacing by the weekend. I was asked to check on this work today as Candido is so busy preparing for another court case tomorrow. Fortunately I was able to enlist the help of a very knowledgeable bowling person who accompanied me and was able to help ensure that we have the correct wording in the contract to ensure the surface is good enough and durable enough. We had a good conversation with the manager of the company, who confirmed that all our points were covered in the contract and that included a 8 year guarantee of workmanship etc.
We are to have another meeting this Friday to look at options for the future management of the facility.




Monday, March 10, 2014

Quiet Week

It will be a quiet week in the TH this week.

Candido and others are preparing for the next (interminable) court case this Wednesday and the Town Hall workers are all tied up with preparations for the Tourism Fair next weekend, which would seem to be a sizeable affair. I am trying to find out if there are going to be any food stalls on during the two days and a more in depth listing of the stalls etc. As soon as I get any more information I will post.

As a result of these preparations I am not going to chase up the outstanding jobs until after the fair, as it would be pointless.


There are still rumours being circulated about the TH asking the residents to pay for repairs to the infrastructure caused by the September 2012 flood. This is rubbish. At no time has anyone from the TH suggested that and, all steps that can be taken, are being taken by the TH to get the money we need for those bits that have not yet been afforded the monies for us to repair yet. 

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Street Signs and Bits

Was able to have an hour with Candido regarding outstanding bits and bobs and summary of those discussed is as below,

1. The Bowling Green in La Alfoquia. It is hope that the final phase of the work for this will be commenced in the next week or two.

2. We (Zurgena Town Hall) are to host, on behalf of the whole of the Almanzora valley, a Feria for Tourism on the 15th and 16th of this month. The Town Hall workers are doing a lot of extra work in preparedness for this event which is expected to be quite a big one. There are a number of events planned for the days in the villages and as and when any further details are revealed I will post on here. There will be stalls for tourism, gastronomy, tourist accomodations,  Craft stalls, tourist activities etc. The Fair will follow the following programme, Saturday 15th from 0900 until 1100 tables of the work of tourism, 1200 inauguration of the Feria, 1200 until 2000 Feria of tourism. The same timetable for Sunday the 16th but in addition to this there will be english guided tours of the village at 1700 each day.  I think it will be an very interesting and diverting fair.

3. We are preparing the next area street plan which will be for the village of Los Llanos del Peral. Luis the TH architect and I will prepare the plan and see if we can get a manufacturer who can give us a better price than the last one, which was expensive but given how even that was damaged by the recent winds maybe we will have to pay th bigger price to get a good enough product.

4. The TH will repair the existing street plan for Cucador Norte this week.

5. We will have to order a new parabolic mirror as some basxxx nicked the one which blew down opposite Calle Dinamarca on Avenida Europa last weekend. Guess the thief needed it as a shaving mirror!

6. Candido is in discussions about the water supply or those people who contacted me, regarding their problems. He hopes to have answers by the end of next week which I will communicate directly to the individuals.

7. The trees in Calle Amapola. I am aware that Sue Sullivan has been complaining on behalf of the residents of this street about the THs lack of attention to the trees in Calle Amapola but it is not an easy problem. Candido told me that due to some incorrect pruning they had to get a tree expert in to see how to save the shape of the trees. He advised that we should give them all intensive treatment with fertiliser and see how they responded before we try and prune them anymore to ensure we do not kill them. As soon as we can after the feria above and when the new shoots grow on the trees we will get the expert back to advise on what we can do.

8. Please, and this is the last call, if your street does not have a street sign let me know. We are going to make one last order for these and I am compiling the list for the streets where expats live. So if you do not have one or feel you need one let me know asap.

Just for your information members of Candidos' family have now taken over the bar on the corner of the street next to bar Trabalon.

Lastly and just to make you realise that it is not just expats who get traffic fines Andreas picked up a €200 fine, from the Guardia Civil traffico, for not signalling when overtaking a car on the A92! Poor lad, he was attending hospital for a check up on his eye operation.



Monday, March 3, 2014

Charity Request Cancelled & Missing Mirror

Firstly I will not need to receive any further donations regarding the church door. I had a couple of smaller donations and then one big one which covered the balance. So thanks but we have the funds needed now. So although I will be in the TH tomorrow I do not need any further donations and I will not be at La Vida in the afternoon.

Secondly the parabolic mirror at the junction of Calle Dinamarca and Avenida Europa appears to have been nicked. I walked up that way on Saturday and noticed it had blown off but thought I would let the TH know on Monday. However, when I walked that way on Sunday the mirror had gone. So unless some kind minded person has picked it up to store it for us then it has been stolen. Did anyone see anyone loading this up or even erecting a nice big mirror on their property,? If so please let me know otherwise it will take me ages to get a replacement!