News
Cathedral roof
Plans are underway for a new roof for
Málaga’s cathedral (pictured). An upgrade
ten years ago has failed to solve the
problem of leaking rainwater, so architects
are working on a pitched roof based on
designs from the 18th century. The project
needs approval from the regional
government before a final decision is made.
Q Flags
Five beaches in Málaga have again been
awarded the Q flag this summer. La
Misericordia, el Dedo, El Palo, Pedregalejo
and La Caleta are flying the banner
indicating good beach management and
tourism quality. The city has again been
awarded a green flag, the Verde Pediátrica,
indicating it offers beaches which have safe
facilities for children.
Pig rescue
Three Vietnamese pigs have been rescued
after being found abandoned in a property
belong to the company which supplies
water in the city of Málaga. None was
micro-chipped so their ownership is
unclear. The species can no longer be
purchased as a pet in Spain, although
existing private owners may continue to
keep the pigs, provided that they are
registered with the regional authority.
Historical records
Nerja has handed census records of the
municipality from 1910 and 1920 to the
province of Málaga’s historical archives.
The documents are reported to be in a
poor condition and will be cleaned and
restored, later to be made available in
digital form. A number of Nerja’s other
historical documents have previously been
made available to the archive, dating from
the mid-18th century to as recently as 1960.
Bálcon refurbish
Nerja Town Hall has invited tenders to
refurbish the railings around the edge of
the Balcón de Europa. The €86,400 project,
which is subsidised by the regional
government, was approved by councillors
last month. Tourism councillor Gema
Garcia said the first job would be to replace
those railings which are missing.
Suspended sentence
call for mugging hero
The Prosecutor in Málaga has come out
in favour of a suspended sentence for a
local man who has already been
sentenced to a prison term and to pay
compensation. The defendant has
appealed the sentence to the
Constitutional Court. the defendant could have simply
followed the suspect and, instead of
hitting him, waited for the police to
intervene. He added that the defendant
left the scene of the fight
“unconcerned,” and did not advise the
police or any other authority.
The case surrounds an incident in
February 2015 when the defendant and
a companion came to the aid of a
woman who was being mugged by two
assailants trying to steal her bag. He
chased after one of the attackers and
became involved in a struggle with
him. The defendant was sentenced to two
years in prison and ordered to pay
compensation of almost €180,000 to
the dead man’s family. This sentence
was upheld by a higher court in April
this year.
The court heard that the defendant
dealt two blows to the thief, one to the
head and one to the neck or shoulder.
This caused a brain haemorrhage from
which the mugger subsequently died.
The judge hearing the case ruled that
the death was not accidental because
The defendant himself has already
paid €6,000 of the compensation, but
the political group Vox launched a
crowd-funding campaign in his name
which has raised almost €120,500 and
which has been deposited with the
court. A petition for his sentence to be
suspended has gathered almost 12,000
signatures and is being forwarded to
the Justice Ministry.
Bars against plastic
drinking straws
Around 150 bars and restaurants in
Málaga are believed to have joined
the campaign against the use of
plastic straws for drinks. Two
professional groups representing
restaurant and beach bar owners have
launched an awareness campaign
emphasising the need to maintain
sustainable beaches. Manuel Villafaina, President of the
Association of Beaches in the province
of Málaga, said the intention is to make
people who use the beaches aware that
keeping them clean is essential, not
only for our own enjoyment but for
the environment. He said bar owners
will display posters in Spanish and
English urging their patrons to support
the initiative.
They say that the EU ban on single-use
plastics which becomes law in 2021 will
require major changes for beach
businesses. Utensils and plates made of
plastic will be outlawed, as will be the
use of plastic containers for drinks and
the plastic straws put in them. Summer treats
This summer’s campaign is centred on
the straws. The groups point out that
discarded straws account for about six
per cent of all pollution in the
Mediterranean and that the plastic used
in their manufacture takes around 500
years to biodegrade, In addition, Spain
is Europe’s highest user of straws with
around 13 million used – and discarded
– every day.
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Missing out on the sunshine is being
countered with free ice cream for
children admitted to hospital in Vélez-
Málaga this summer. Members of the
Torre del Mar Beach Running Club
and the town’s Heladería Buenavista
have partnered to cheer up the young
invalids. Doctors are keeping an eye on
serving the treats to avoid any medical
complications.
See Smalltalk
on page 20