News
Nerja “ surprise ”
News that Madrid is to charge Nerja € 7 million for its water over the next 25 years has come as a “ disagreeable surprise ,” according to Mayor José Albert Armijo . The Ministry of Ecological Transition last month sent the municipality a draft agreement for the payments required under current laws . The demand comes as Nerja ’ s new water treatment plant continues its programme of testing .
Sex offender
A Vélez-Málaga woman is contesting the 500 metre distancing order imposed on her daughter ’ s paternal grandfather after he was convicted of sexual offences against the minor . The man was handed a two-year prison sentence and fined € 30,000 , but continues to live close to their home . The girl ’ s mother is now fighting to have him moved to a different district of the town .
Torrox budget
Councillors in Torrox have approved the municipal budget for 2021 . The total of € 22 million is similar to last year , despite the additional pressures imposed on the Town Hall by the Coronavirus crisis . The plan focuses on investments to beautifying and improve services in local areas in order to generate employment ,
First licences
Nerja Town Hall is working on plans to provide older properties with licences of first occupation . The absence of such a licence held by properties built before 1990 has hindered owners from registering them as tourist accommodation , in line with regional legal requirements . Details can be obtained from the Urban Planning Department at the Town Hall .
Tax fraudster
A 43-year-old man has been detained in Vélez-Málaga suspected of stealing over € 52,000 from a foreign woman who was left the money by her husband . He is said to have introduced himself as a tax expert to take advantage of her ignorance of financial matters and is reported to have a record for similar offences . The suspect was detained last month in a remote country location .
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Nerja prepares new health centre site
Nerja councillors last month approved the project to prepare the site finally chosen for the town ’ s new health centre . The technical document has set a budget of € 1,066,000 and an execution time of six months .
The new facility is to be built on the eastern bank of the Chillar river in an area behind the town centre Mercadona branch . Antonio Dorado , head of infrastructure services at the Town Hall , told a press conference last month that the hydraulic authority has confirmed that the 3,700 square metre site was not subject to flooding .
Mayor José Alberto Armijo said once final approvals were in place , the project would be put out to tender with work starting “ as soon as possible .” He also highlighted on-going discussions with the regional Health Service which will lead to the plot being taken over by the Junta de Andalucía . The project is part of the Town Hall ’ s plans to promote local employment which has been hit by the Coronavirus epidemic .
Nerja ’ s present health centre dates from
The multinational Google has chosen the city of Málaga as the headquarters of its future International Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security . It is to be based in the old military government building on Paseo de la Farola in the city where over 40 experts will be available to offer training , talks , workshops and mentoring , in addition to creating a space for product research and development .
Behind the Málaga initiative is a local man , Bernardo Quintero of Vélez- Málaga , who has been working with Google since it acquired his company Virus Total in 2012 . He is now one of the top managers of its cyber security division worldwide .
The creation of the cyber security the 1970s and its replacement has been the subject of debate for almost two decades . In 2003 , Nerja ’ s town council agreed with the Junta de Andalucía to share equally the cost of a new centre , then estimated at € 2.4 million . However , five years later , the Junta cancelled the deal because , it argued , sanitary infrastructure is a regional , not local responsibility . By then , at least four different sites for a new health centre had been considered , and in 2009 , the town spent € 500,000 preparing the site next to the Chillar river , presently used as a public car park . The area was subsequently rejected by the Junta at that time because of concerns about flooding , but this fear now appears to have been
ruled out .
Local expert leads
Google into Málaga
centre is part of Google ’ s new strategy in Spain announced last month , which foresees an investment of more than $ 650 million in different projects over the next five years to assist in the digital transformation of the country . This will include a collaboration with Telefónica to establish Google ’ s first “ cloud region ” in Spain , as well as Google ’ s first private underwater cable to connect Spain with the United States and the United Kingdom .
Bernardo Quintero confirmed the news on social networks saying that he is “ very excited ” about the Málaga project , although there is a “ long way ” to go . No opening date for the Málaga centre has been announced because the premises it will occupy are to be completely renovated in a “ long and complex ” project .
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