News
Ermita progress
A-7 junction upgrade call
The regional government has initiated the procedure to declare Nerja ’ s Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de las Angustias as a Site of Cultural Interest ( BIC ). The request from the town is reported to have been endorsed unanimously by the Junta de Andalucía . The hermitage in Plaza de La Ermita dates from 1720 and boasts unique mid-18th century murals .
Nerja assault
The prosecutor has asked for a jail term of eight years for a 37-year-old man accused of assaulting a woman in Nerja in September 2017 . It is alleged the victim was in a semi-conscious state in a car park when the incident occurred during a local fiesta . If found guilty , he could also face a distancing order and a compensation payment of € 50,000 .
Chalet complex
A complex of tourist chalets is to be built on a 50,000 square metre site in the Rio de la Miel area . Some 13 cabins will be situated alongside a swimming pool , pilates platform and ecological garden , with power from solar panels and water recycled for irrigation . Nerja ’ s Town Council has approved the private project , although with the abstention of Unidas Podemos , Vox and PSOE members .
Monkeypox cases
The province of Málaga had reported over half of the cases of monkeypox diagnosed in Andalucía by the middle of last month . Some 160 patients had been identified with the infectious disease out of 260 in the region , with another 60 under investigation , according to the Andalusian Epidemiological Surveillance System Network . Nationally , over 1,200 cases have been confirmed .
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A new call for the autovía junction at Caleta de Vélez to be completed has been made by the national deputy of the Partido Popular ( PP ) in Málaga , Mario Cortés . He says that plans for the work have been “ stuck in a drawer ” since the socialist PSOE party won control nationally in 2018 .
When the Caleta junction of the A-7 was built , only two slip roads were constructed , instead of the usual four . This means that it is possible for vehicles to join the west-bound carriageway but not for traffic to leave , while east-bound traffic can leave the motorway , but there is no way for traffic to join in that direction .
The city of Málaga is reported to be considering the introducing a tax on tourists . The city council has asked for a study on how this could be applied to visitors but the idea is already being strongly opposed .
Councillors last month decided unanimously to ask for an examination of the regulatory framework which would be necessary for such a move . A previous proposal by members of the Unidas Podemos party to charge a tax of € 1 per visitor was rejected but has resulted in a debate between councillors , political parties and the tourist sector .
Such a move is not new in Spain . In the Balearic Islands , tourists are already charged a tax of between € 1 and € 4 per night , while visitors to Barcelona must pay between 45 cents and € 2.25 per night . The city of Sevilla is also seeking to introduce such a charge while Valenica says it will introduce the tax next year .
However , only last month , the president of the opposition Partido Popular , Alberto Nunez Feijoo , voiced his disagreement with tourist taxes when he visited Benidorm where their introduction is being vigorously opposed by the tourism sector . The city ’ s association of hoteliers has
Sr Cortés recalled that the previous PP national government allocated € 2.7 million to the project before losing the general election and claims that this cash has since disappeared from PSOE budgets . He has demanded that the Transport Ministry clarify what the plans really are , and that Madrid commits to setting the deadlines and executing the project .
The President of the PP in Vélez- Málaga , Jesús Lupiáñez , described the junction as a , “ strategic point facing the entrance to the historic centre of Vélez and the connection with the Port of La Caleta .”
Tourist tax for Málaga ?
described the policy as a “ punishment ” as well as being “ irresponsible ” and “ reckless .”
Málaga ’ s mayor last month said that if the tax were to be introduced in his city , it would be “ applied to attracting tourism of the highest quality , which is what improves the coexistence of tourism with the city .”
Lorry fire
A lorry seized by police in July last year has gone up in smoke on Nerja ’ s industrial estate . Smoke visible several kilometres away was seen as the abandoned vehicle , which had been occupied by squatters , went up in flames . When the lorry was stopped in July 2021 , police found over 100 kilos of hashish inside and arrested two men of foreign nationality .
New bridge
A new foot bridge over the course of the Guadalmina river in Málaga is expected to be installed next month . The pedestrian way close to the Contemporary Arts Centre was contracted by the city ’ s council almost two years ago , but has been delayed by the pandemic and a shortage of materials , according to Urban Planning councillor Raúl López . He added that the final cost will be around € 564,000 .
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