Work in progress

[The Gardener]

I asked this same question of an Arboleas councillor two years ago and was told that yes, the pharmacia would move into the new medical centre.  Has the law changed in the last two years?  And in view of the close proximity of the pharmacia to the existing medical centre, how can that law be applied at present? 

[Roger]

Yes but it is illegal to do so.
The Farmacia is a private company and the law limits the proximity of private farmacias to public medical centres to prevent unfair competition between competing farmacias.
Of course the law does not take into account for a small village with only one farmacia.

[johnhc]

Roger, good news on the medical centre, long overdue. Just a thought on the geography of the medical centre and the farmacia - if you are walking they are a long way apart! Whilst most of the Brits drive quite a few of the Spanish, particularly the elderly don't/can't. Most trips to the doctor result in a visit to the farmacia immediately after. Probably too late now if not previously thought of, but wouldn't it have been a good idea to relocate the farmacia into the medical centre somewhere?

[Roger]

Work in progress
8th February

In answer to questions I am updating the progress of various projects.

MEDICAL CENTRE
This project has taken a long time, as have similar projects in other towns.
The reasons for all these delays are due to the slow delivery of finance from the Junta; they authorised the projects but did not allocate the money in the budget.
At the same time the contractor we inherited walked off the job, leaving a legal dispute which delayed us taking over the project.
The finance delivery is now sorted, and we have been working to complete the project. Although the structure was complete, all the internal work was not started;- doors and windows, electric and water supply, tiling and plastering, lighting, heating and air con, and much more.
Work is well underway, with an estimate that it will be completed by the end of this month.
However having inspected the work weekly I think it would be reasonable to estimate that the building should be in operation by the summer.

ROAD WORKS
We regularly get questions about why we are working in some areas and seem to have ignored theirs. Whichever priority we have we cannot satisfy everyone.
The reason why some work is left unfinished is because we depend on teams of unemployed and workers on youth employment schemes. We have no control on when they start nor on their work abilities.
We are also at the mercy of the environment, such as the land slide in El Rincon, which we are having to move resources to sort out.

LOS CARRASCOS
The latest team is at the moment finishing the pavements in Los Garcias, and should move to Los Carrascos next week.

LOS HIGUERALES
Residents have understandably complained that they are overlooked because they are the furthest urban settlement.
Work is now underway on the pavements on the main road.
There is also a plan, under the Urban Development Grant, to build a bridge into the entrance to Los Higuerales, over the Rambla de Peral.

OTHER ROAD WORKS PLANNED
We have approved quotes from NILA to carry out some major road improvements:-
Avenida Los Calares, from the old railway bridge up to the motorway junction, past the factory and new bar, at a cost of 25,000 euros.
A road in the industrial estate.
Both of these are in a very bad state of repair and carry a lot of traffic.

LOS MENCHONES PROJECT
This is a very large project, involving a new sewage treatment plant, connecting pipes, road improvements, and a flood water duct because the estate is constructed around a barranco.
This is being funded 70% by an urban grant from central government, which has to be regulated by the Diputacion.
The Diputacion President has approved the project and the technical documents are with the Diputacion engineers awaiting their approval before work can start.