MUNICIPAL NAVE IN EL RULADOR

[felipe]

I think that this thread has gone past it´s initial intention. Supposition statements are unfair to both parties. Only those involved know the truth. So it is time to close the thread.

[nibbler]

As I understand it character assassination is when some one has done nothing wrong and are criticised. In this case Sophies are in the wrong.
Nibbler

[NorrieM]

Can you explain why you think Roger has a duty of confidentiality in this case.

[mimosas]

I'm amazed this is being discussed on an open forum. I have never been to Sophie's and don't know the owners but I can spot character assassination when I see it.  Ever heard of breach of confidentiality Roger?

[Amanda Oakley]

As an outsider, looking in, this post has a whole range of valid arguments and observations........ As well as the "slaughtering" of individuals, which I find to be quite SAD  :sign0065:

Bottom line IMOH.............
Town Hall should have "regulated" and "enforced" their contract - irrespective of what is being said, if these are Public Premises, the Town Hall had a "duty of care" which they have not been checking or enforcing.......

Roger seems to be a single voice in this respect and has not been "heard" for reasons unknown - as above, in my opinión, politics play a big part !!!

It is also clear that a local business with a number of "employees", now have to demonstrate their qualifications - in my mind, this is IMPERATIVE in the industry mentioned....... however, if no guidance has been given and no checks have been made, is there any blame ???????

We all know that things are different in this part of Spain and can all be guilty of complacency...... but, when challenged, we should all rise to the challenge and demonstrate that we can do things right in whatever "arena" we are operating in ????

Could this whole situation therefore be an opportunity to get things right !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
:104: :104: :104:

MAYBE DAFT BUT I AM FOREVER THE OPTIMIST XXX

[fidgetmidget]

Just my opinion......if Sophia's have been illegally subletting, taking money for rent that equals the amount they pay the town hall, been deceitful with their explanation of the above, lied about activities taking place in a public building, no longer have an in date contract...WHY are they still there, why are you even considering renewing their contract? They have had it good for so long and no doubt would have continued doing everything they shouldn't, had they not been discovered doing it.

I know Ray Daniels from Mojacar, ex Hull footballer, qualified sports physio, treated me for some 6 months when I had a nasty break in his place in Mojacar, he was working out of Sophia's at one time and if memory serves me right I believe he was paying rent, how do I know this? Because he called me to ask if I thought he would get sufficient business to warrant his payment, so how many more outside of Sophia's has been paying rent?

Sounds to me like it should be once bitten, twice shy?
Mudget

[JessicaH]

Roger, you are totally correct in your view and they way you are conducting this issue.
For whatever reason people these days don't have the guts to make a stance because they prefer to be popular with everyone so I totally commend your actions.

However like many on this forum, although a Spanish tax resident, I no longer live in the area.
Indeed it seems many forum members dont even live in Spain so perhaps like me, they think to comment is out of their remit.

[freddie]

Roger, I think it is very sad that your last paragraph says what it does, that you have had no support from the town hall during the two years you have been discussing this, given that there are only three english councillors on board, why is there such apathy from the spanish town hall councillors - is it they the spanish who dont want to integrate with the foreign element here, it just seems so strange to read that they are not supporting you to bring the village together.   It would be nice if the Mayor would make a comment after all he is the overall leader of the village.

[Roger]

This topic has caused a lot of discussion.
I have received a lot of criticism, although I have received a lot of support from people who will not post on the forum.

Some people have posted that this should have been kept confidential in the Town Hall.
I do not agree. This is a public issue, of public interest.
Secrecy breeds corruption.

There are FOUR core issues,

FIRST
Sophias has been sub letting rooms in the public building, for private profit and without authority.
Why is it wrong to expose this?

SECOND
Following pressure from me, the Council legal officer has required Sophias to keep to the contract they signed 4 years ago.
They are required to seek permission for all activities other than the gymnasium. The fact that they have not done so in the past 4 years is their fault, although also the fault of the Town Hall for not monitoring the situation correctly.

THIRD
The Council has now informed Sophias that any activity must be carried out by correctly qualified people, and that these qualifications must be registered with the Town Hall.
Why am I wrong to inform the public, and the workers in Sophias, about this requirement?
___________________________________________________________________________

FOUR
This is an important issue which concerns all Arboleas residents, and about which I feel strongly, and is one of the reasons I have worked for the people of Arboleas for the past 10 years.

We have a strong community in Arboleas, but it should be more integrated.
It is less integrated now than it was 15 years ago.
This is an important issue which must be addressed, and which the Town Hall is not giving sufficient attention to.

We have a community building which should be available for the whole community, for activities which bring the whole community together.
Instead it has been given to a private company to be used exclusively by their clients.
To make the matter worse it is a British company catering almost exclusively for the British community.
We were promised that there would be Spanish employees, but there are none.
The Spanish say that this is just for the British, not for them.
This is WRONG.
Activities take place at times which are not suitable for many Spanish.
In fact it is clear that there is no desire to use this facility to help to integrate the community.
It is run for private gain.

This is not an acceptable use of a public asset. I have argued this for two years within the Town Hall.
Now I consider it to be my democratic duty to bring my concerns to the public.

[Lynden]

"We are now trying to control whether people put stone cladding on their walls without a licence"

Just a one word question.......WHY?

El presidente is right......fee required to get licence to improve any aspect of your property that is a permanent fixture. Then increased IBI (potentially).

[SunnyJim]

"We are now trying to control whether people put stone cladding on their walls without a licence"

Just a one word question.......WHY?

[jayndee]

The Mayor and the Town Council  have a contract with  Sophias signed in 2013. What I cannot understand is why has it taken 4 years for the Council (Roger) to find out all these alleged irregularities. The Mayor and Town Council are the landlords why have they not been checking the place on a regular basis. If departments and officials are working illegally it is right that they are stopped. I blame the Mayor and the Town Council for allowing it. THEY ARE THE OWNERS AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHECKING THAT SOPHIAS WAS ADHERING TO THE CONTRACT.

All I can see is the place closing at a loss to the residents of Arboleas.  A great shame.

[raysun]

Have disagreed with roger on some things in the past but totally behind him on this.
Ray

[twojaysalmeria]

Wow. What a mess.

Just wanted to say that we both believe that Roger has done the correct thing here - and it would be nice if more people came online to show their support, rather than remaining silent on the sidelines. It must be extremely wearing for him to be constantly the butt of such accusations and abuse.

J

Oh - and a previous poster was correct: it's libel, not slander when written!

[Aileen]

Copied from Arboleas Live. In reading the whole piece it would appear that Roger has every right to disclose this to the general public on the forum. To allow people without qualifications to aid people is disgraceful. To charge someone 300€ rent when that is all Sophias are paying each month is scandalous. That is after they charged the girl 15,000. How much rent are they charging the rest of them in there? Sounds to me that Sophias are on to a good thing and don´t want to let go.

SOPHIAS AND THE MUNICIPAL NAVE


The Mayor of Arboleas has issued a legal instruction to Sophias SL to cease all activities in the municipal nave in El Rulador which are not included in their contract.


The contract between Arboleas Ayuntamiento and Sophias SL only authorises Sophias SL to operate a gymnasium.


Sophias SL has been carrying out activities for which they have no authority, some of which are illegal.


These unauthorised, irregular or illegal activities include:-


Physical rehabilitation


Medical acupuncture


Laser treatment


Invasive beauty treatments


Hypnotherapy


Podiatry


Medical advice in the Well Persons Clinic, including kidney disease and melonomias.


All these activities require the appropriate qualifications registered in Spain.


On the basis of information supplied by Sophias SL, at the request of the Ayuntamiento, none of the workers in the municipal building have any medical or other appropriate qualifications.


In addition Sophias SL has been sub letting rooms in the municipal building without the authority of the Ayuntamiento.


They have been ordered to cease this.



I have been investigating these activities for many months. Sophias SL previously denied the sub letting was taking place, and informed us that all their workers had the correct Spanish registered qualifications.


We have now clarified the facts, and have issued this legal instruction.



On a related issue, Sophias SL has sold the hairdressers, against the knowledge or permission of the Ayuntamiento, and at the same time has been attempting to charge the new owner for renting the salon, against the knowledge of the Town Hall. This only emerged at the end of my investigation, and had nothing to do with the conclusions we have reached.


I am making this point because the new owner of the hairdressing salon is being victimised and blamed for informing the Town Hall of the irregularities in Sophias.


This is not true. I am the only person who is responsible for discovering and investigating these irregularities, something I have been doing for many months.


So I am sorry if some people will lose their jobs as a result, but the only person responsible is the owner of Sophias SL for carrying out these activities.




I know that Sophias SL are blaming me. That's OK. I am guilty in ensuring that the use of a Council building is correct, and that the public is protected against illegal activities.



The Ayuntamiento is preparing detailed procedures for authorising legal activities, either by Sophias or my individual practitioners working independently of Sophias SL.


These authorisations have to be concluded by 30th September when Sophias current contract expires.

___________________________________________________________________________________________


SOPHIAS SL AND THE MUNICIPAL NAVE


Background information

_______________________________________________________________________


In 2012/2013 the Ayuntamiento upgraded the old Nave in El Rulador. We negotiated with Sophias SL to operate a gymnasium in the building, and in October 2013 we signed a 12 month contract with Sophias. The contract gave Sophias the right to install their gymnasium equipment in the building and to operate the activity.


Sophias pay 300 euros per month (plus IVA). In return for this low rental they agreed to offer a 20% discount to Arboleas residents. The contract specified that any other activity in the building must be approved in advance by the Council.


The contract was not renewed (largely the fault of the Council) although Sophias have continued access to the building and pay the rent.


On 1st June the Junta de Gobierno discussed the situation in the nave, as a result of many complaints about the way the facility was being used.


On 14th June I convened a meeting with Sophias to discuss the contract. In attendance were The Mayor, The Council Legal Secretary, Roger Done, Mike Page, Mark Daniels, and Paula Kenny from Sophias.


At the meeting Paula was asked about the new ownership of the hairdressers which had been publicised in the local media. She assured us that the hairdressers had not been sold, there was simply a new person running the salon working for Sophias.


We also asked her about the many medical activities which were being carried out, such as Physical Rehabilitation, and medical advice and various medical practices.


We were assured that all the staff had the appropriate medical qualifications.


I informed Sophias that we required a list of everyone working in the nave, their activity, and copies of their qualifications.


When these were eventually received by e mail it was clear that none were registered in Spain, and as far as we could assess none were of a medical nature.


I prepared a detailed report to the legal secretary advising him of these irregularities.


The other issue relates to the ownership of the hairdressing salon.
I first met the new owner, Lesley Lou Gregory at 10am on Monday 7th August when she attended the Town Hall with her legal adviser to clarify her status in the salon.


At this meeting I was shown a copy of the sales contract for 15,000 euros dated 31st March, signed by the two directors of Sophias SL.


I was also shown the conditions imposed by Sophias under which the new owner would pay Sophias 300 euros per month to rent the salon (which she had purchased!) as well as requiring her to pay Sophias for her Social Security payments, even though she is self employed.


Totally irregular.


I am also reliably informed that Sophias has offered to return half of the purchase price on condition that the new owner does not blow the whistle.


She did not. All she has been trying to do was to set herself up legally, register legally as self employed, and pay her social security and taxes.


For this she is being accused of causing trouble for Sophias.

[barnaby]

SEE ARBOLEAS  LIVE.  B

[JohnJones]

Another long post, sorry!  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I see the situation quite simply:

- Roger was opposed to the nave being used solely for a private business venture from day one.

- Roger heard about irregular activities being carried out at the nave and started his investigation a long time ago but his concerns have always fallen on deaf ears.

- Sophia's were asked if fundraising events could take place at weekends when they were closed.  The answer was no. Roger, do you know how much it costs the Town Hall to rent the big marquee for fundraising events, etc.?  I bet it's not cheap.

- Many people, not just Roger, aired their concerns about the rehab clinic at Sophia's.  This highly skilled work is apparently being carried out by an aerobics instructor. Scary stuff.

- Roger had heard that a complaint had been made about this to an official body which made the situation more serious for both the Town Hall and Sophia's.

- With the imminent opening of the new medical centre, it was clear that professionals in the medical field would be asking questions. Roger again urged all concerned to sort out the irregularities.

- Sophia's said that all the activities being carried out were done by qualified people.

- Roger and the Town Hall asked for proof and they STILL haven't received it; I asked for proof on the forum and STILL we haven't seen anything.  Only Fay has had the decency to respond.

- Roger asked Sophia's for proposals to be put forward for the extra activities being carried out, along with details of contracts, qualifications, etc., so these could be approved. Nothing was received.

- Roger said he would go public if this wasn't resolved privately as it was the only choice available. Again ignored.

- If Sophia's had worked with Roger and the Town Hall who have been more than accommodating in helping them build a thriving business, it would not have become a public matter.

- Roger was protecting the interests of the public, Town Hall and believe it or not, Sophia's.

John Jones, you say "Personally I think it will take generations for the two communities to integrate, it's a Pueblo in Almeria, not a cosmopolitan suburb of Barcelona or Paris".  Strange thing to say as I see all nationalities here in Arboleas integrating at schools, other local clubs, fundraising events, bars, the Town Hall, etc.  As for Roger airing dirty laundry, trust me a big bar of Vanish couldn't even tackle some of the other 'manchas' that have come to light, but he, I and others are keeping these matters private and are just sticking to the main important facts.

150,000 sounds like a lot of money but in reality I don't think it would cover the cost of a new community building.  Furthermore, I personally would be happy if that money was used to help with the cost of infrastructure, etc. following the approval of Innov 14 so those poor souls who have waited so long for their houses to be properly legalised can get their lives back on track.  We have great community spirit in Arboleas and I'm sure the majority of residents would feel the same.

So how do we move forward from this?  My opinion: Sophia's - sort your act out; Town Hall – sort your act out; Residents of Arboleas – please, please post here on this forum how you would like to see the community nave used so the mayor can read for himself what we all want (his English is very good!).  I'm sure an agreement can be made where the nave can be shared by the gym, therapists and us, the residents of Arboleas for charity events, etc. and the extra revenue from renting out the therapy rooms will top up our community pot. Besides, on a plus note for Sophia's, the salon and therapists, the more people who pass through that door and seeing the great facilities available can only be good for business eh?

I see your point, but the mixing of the communities is limited, albeit better than the villages beyond Albox. I dont see many Spanish and English youngsters settling down and starting families as mixed races, I think that is a fair litmus test. Especially after all these years. I've been out with a coule of spanish women, (I'm a bit of a tart (halo emoji thingy)) one local who would not go out locally, we would have to go down to the coast for dinner out 'because Spanish and English is too strange' her words, not mine, and one from the north who, when we walked into a local bar, I thought was going to get punchd by a local who was incenced and raging because she was with an Englishman. I had to tell the bloke to sit down in no uncertain terms. Ridiculous in 21st century. So there's a heck of a long way to go on integration, I can tell you that.

On the behind scenes at TH sounds like you know alot more and I acknowledge absolutely Roger has been brilliant.

I hope someone can bang both heads together and sort it out now for the betterment of all. And it is resolved professionally not on a forum. Where it does not belong.

[JohnJones]

Seems to be two very different opinions.

I must admit that I haven't read into things in detail, but my questions are the following:
- Does the Sophia contract run out on September 30th?
- If so, will other companies, as well as Sophia, be able to put projects forward?

The way I thought things happened in local politics is that with council buildings, every certain amount of time, there are 'concursos', giving all companies and ideas an equal opportunity and the best idea wins.
Don't worry, I have no interest 😂

Agreed. I would have expected a 3 month Termination clause to have kicked in and given Sophias the time before to come up with the goods as required by a deadline.

On the basis Roger says they have not, I would have then rescinded the Contract, inviting others to put forwards new proposals commencing October 1st with the best bid winning.

And then announced publicly Sophias was moving on and whatever was taking over on a 2/3 year contract.

Not taking anything away from Roger and the amazing work he has done not just on Inno 14, but he has helped to change the face of the village and many individuals including myself at times of trouble, clearly seeks to see the two communities converge more. He's been very succesful and committed and achieved more than most of us could have together. it's the process that has been wrong, airing on the Forum, where other 'professionals' have had snide digs clearly with their own agendas, whatever they may be, making it look more witch hunt than anything, that is concerning. I dont doubt Rogers aims have been anything but honourable.

[languagesolutions]

Seems to be two very different opinions.

I must admit that I haven't read into things in detail, but my questions are the following:
- Does the Sophia contract run out on September 30th?
- If so, will other companies, as well as Sophia, be able to put projects forward?

The way I thought things happened in local politics is that with council buildings, every certain amount of time, there are 'concursos', giving all companies and ideas an equal opportunity and the best idea wins.
Don't worry, I have no interest 😂

[Lynden]

I have huge respect for Roger in his attempts to resolve a situation that reflects badly on the town hall and the business concerned. I believe him when he says that this could have been resolved by that business and some common sense and co-operation.
Give the guy a break and support him.

[lmj52]

Wow. I don't live in Arboleas  so please forgive my intrusion. I live in Partaloa and just wish we had someone like Roger in our town hall. An honest, straight talking guy. Few and far between. Why are you not knocking on the door of the town hall and supporting him?
If all goes bad with Brexit you will miss his input.
Give the guy a break. Roger we have never met, you have my utmost respect. Hope your wife's health issues improve.

[Annastasia]

Good post rach a voice of reason. Roger doesn't stand a chance he's damned if he does and he's damned if he doesn't
Just remember the old days before the British councillors were elected. Roger has always been open and honest and is doing so now. Be careful or he might walk away and that would be a tragedy. In my opinion he is doing the right thing. There should be a place for all the residents of Arboleas to convene both Spanish and ex pats.

[Rach]

Another long post, sorry!  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I see the situation quite simply:

- Roger was opposed to the nave being used solely for a private business venture from day one.

- Roger heard about irregular activities being carried out at the nave and started his investigation a long time ago but his concerns have always fallen on deaf ears.

- Sophia's were asked if fundraising events could take place at weekends when they were closed.  The answer was no. Roger, do you know how much it costs the Town Hall to rent the big marquee for fundraising events, etc.?  I bet it's not cheap.

- Many people, not just Roger, aired their concerns about the rehab clinic at Sophia's.  This highly skilled work is apparently being carried out by an aerobics instructor. Scary stuff.

- Roger had heard that a complaint had been made about this to an official body which made the situation more serious for both the Town Hall and Sophia's.

- With the imminent opening of the new medical centre, it was clear that professionals in the medical field would be asking questions. Roger again urged all concerned to sort out the irregularities.

- Sophia's said that all the activities being carried out were done by qualified people.

- Roger and the Town Hall asked for proof and they STILL haven't received it; I asked for proof on the forum and STILL we haven't seen anything.  Only Fay has had the decency to respond.

- Roger asked Sophia's for proposals to be put forward for the extra activities being carried out, along with details of contracts, qualifications, etc., so these could be approved. Nothing was received.

- Roger said he would go public if this wasn't resolved privately as it was the only choice available. Again ignored.

- If Sophia's had worked with Roger and the Town Hall who have been more than accommodating in helping them build a thriving business, it would not have become a public matter.

- Roger was protecting the interests of the public, Town Hall and believe it or not, Sophia's.

John Jones, you say "Personally I think it will take generations for the two communities to integrate, it's a Pueblo in Almeria, not a cosmopolitan suburb of Barcelona or Paris".  Strange thing to say as I see all nationalities here in Arboleas integrating at schools, other local clubs, fundraising events, bars, the Town Hall, etc.  As for Roger airing dirty laundry, trust me a big bar of Vanish couldn't even tackle some of the other 'manchas' that have come to light, but he, I and others are keeping these matters private and are just sticking to the main important facts.

150,000 sounds like a lot of money but in reality I don't think it would cover the cost of a new community building.  Furthermore, I personally would be happy if that money was used to help with the cost of infrastructure, etc. following the approval of Innov 14 so those poor souls who have waited so long for their houses to be properly legalised can get their lives back on track.  We have great community spirit in Arboleas and I'm sure the majority of residents would feel the same.

So how do we move forward from this?  My opinion: Sophia's - sort your act out; Town Hall – sort your act out; Residents of Arboleas – please, please post here on this forum how you would like to see the community nave used so the mayor can read for himself what we all want (his English is very good!).  I'm sure an agreement can be made where the nave can be shared by the gym, therapists and us, the residents of Arboleas for charity events, etc. and the extra revenue from renting out the therapy rooms will top up our community pot. Besides, on a plus note for Sophia's, the salon and therapists, the more people who pass through that door and seeing the great facilities available can only be good for business eh?

[sallyb]

I too support Roger and am a loss as to why the Mayor and councillors are not backing him. it makes one think they they knew about this all along, or they have a vested interest in staying quiet. At the end of the day it is the communities asset we are talking about

[barnaby]

Roger. I have read everything that people have written on this subject. I would just like to say that you have our support. I hope that the problem can be solved amicably. B & Gxx.

[Pinkgolf]

 :38:
Am I wrong, but, ........... when I went to school, many eons ago, .......... slander was a spoken defamation and libel was a written defamation......which one are we discussing here??????
Seems to me its a case of alleged libel, not slander.....(OCD kicking in again)........or have I got this completely wrong??????

[mimosas]

Jack Jones post  :clap:

[billandjess]

  Moyra, A very good Post.  We agree 100%. we would like to add, in our opinion, we would like to read about some support for Roger, from other members of our Council.

[Moyra]

I agree that the orriginal contract was flawed.
None of the British Councillors saw it.
We only saw it when I asked for a copy a few months ago.

As for keeping everything secret, if that what the electors of Arboleas want then they have the wrong representative.

I for one do not approve of any council keeping things "secret" that can only lead to "mates" receiving the benefit of any TH benefits.  

I feel Roger has done the right thing the only problem is people get nasty when it's really not called for. There is a problem Sophia's is doing something they should not have done in a TH owned building, it's now in the public domain, OK, we have all made mistakes, let's be adult enough to rectify the problem and move on. Sophia's will continue I'm sure with the client base they have and will grow.

Let's all stop "bashing" people be they a member of the public or council and try to be civil to each other.  We all have our own opinions and have the right to air them but not to verbally abuse anyone.  A debate is one thing a slinging match is something else.  

Moyra

[samantha]

Well John Jones you have got my vote!  If you ever decide to stand you will get my vote everytime, perhaps it's about time for some new blood Rog!!! Preferably someone who knows how to conduct themselves on EVERY level and not just when it suits. 

[JohnJones]

All the more reason to spend the 150,000 on a Commnity Space then as it has been allocated. A new Hall could always be extended in the future or improved. You could argue spending on Inno 14 only benefits the 300 illegal house owners and not the whole community that a Community Hall could do. Having the houses legalised will be a relief for the owners and improve the areas reputation for all but surely if demand exists a new Community Hall would be far more beneficial for all whilst Inno 14 is resolved in future spending rounds.

And there's a massive difference between conducting TH business in Private away from the eyes of the community and airing dirty laundry in public on a forum. One is deceptive, the other is wreckless and unprofessional.

Is there any demand for a Community space that may well stand empty otherwise? I might be wrong but it feels politically motivated and not evidence based. If only 5% use Sophias, the other 95% are awfully quiet.

Again just my oppinion.

[Roger]

The 150,000 euros is not Junta money.
It is money from the tax payers of Arboleas.

I agree that the orriginal contract was flawed.
None of the British Councillors saw it.
We only saw it when I asked for a copy a few months ago.

As for keeping everything secret, if that what the electors of Arboleas want then they have the wrong representative.

[JohnJones]

There are two issues here.
Both of these I have raised with other councillors over the past 2 years.
I am now raising these issues publicly because as an elected representative I believe that the people who elected me have the democratic right to know what your Town Hall is doing.

There should be no secrets, and no decisions made in private meetings.

The first issue is the oversight by the Town Hall of medical and other activities being undertaken in the Town Hall building.
After many months of demands the Town Hall legal officer has now taken action to regularize this situation.
________________________________________________________________________

The other wider issue is the use of the Municipal nave.

Remember this building does not belong to the Town Hall, it belongs to YOU, the people of Arboleas.
It is there, paid for by public money, for your use.
Certainly a private company has no right to rent out parts of the building for their private profit.
Also I believe that the building should be available to all the people of Arboleas, Spanish and British.
At the moment it is only available to clients of Sophias, which at the most is 5% of the total residents of Arboleas.

I have no objection to the use of the treatment rooms for authorised activities.
Nor do I see any problem in Sophias providing a gym and other associated activities.
But surely not to the total exclusion of the rest of the people of Arboleas.
The building is big enough to accommodate more that the gym, and the treatment rooms are separate from the 3 main areas, currently totally used exclusively by Sophias.

This is my opinion.
Am I alone in this view?

It's all a bit odd Roger and easy to criticize with hindsight, but why was it not contracted in that the space be available a couple of nights a week for the community in the first place, with a range of programmes to facilitate more integration of the Spanish and English communities from the outset, if that's your objective? Personally I think it will take generations for the two communities to integrate, it's a Pueblo in Almeria, not a cosmopolitan suburb of Barcelona or Paris.
Secondly, it is to be expected that any private Business will seek to maximise income, that is the nature of business. So it is concerning that what is ultimately a political issue from within the TH has spilled out into public potentially wrecking the business intentionally or not, this should never have happened and compromises the TH's integrity but also its viability to conduct business appropriately as a partner to private businesses. And no one else was taking up the slack at the time it became a gym, there wasn't exactly an orderly queue looking to take it on. If Sophias voted with there feet and secured new premises, and who could blame them, what resource would the place then be as you haven't made any firm proposals as to what it would then be used for nor whether any plan is viable. There's still no concrete alternative on the table for everyone to consider.
Thirdly, correct me if I'm wrong, but if the Junta have allocated 150,000 E for a new Community Hall, and if it's then spent on Inno 14 instead does this not breach the terms of funds granted, and will the Junta or whoever has granted the 150,000 listen to infrastructure plans and applications for funds again in the future?

Trying to be solution focussed, if you can now persuade Sophias to sign a new contract after all this dirty washing in public, factor into the contract that it is available several nights a month for other community TH lead events, such as a film night, spanish and english talking groups or whatever you feel is missing, and meanwhile get on with building the new Community Hall.

I know the resource was given to Sophias in different economic times and there is a nobility now in seeking to redress the resource for the whole community, but it has been very badly managed with terrible foresight and the airing publicly of grievances was never a good way to go. It's become extremely messy meanwhile.

So best draw a line under it and use the funds approriately and provide what you can with the funds availabe. And do some damage limitation with Sohias before the resource that does exist dissapears. 

Just my view.

[Roger]

There are two issues here.
Both of these I have raised with other councillors over the past 2 years.
I am now raising these issues publicly because as an elected representative I believe that the people who elected me have the democratic right to know what your Town Hall is doing.

There should be no secrets, and no decisions made in private meetings.

The first issue is the oversight by the Town Hall of medical and other activities being undertaken in the Town Hall building.
After many months of demands the Town Hall legal officer has now taken action to regularize this situation.
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The other wider issue is the use of the Municipal nave.

Remember this building does not belong to the Town Hall, it belongs to YOU, the people of Arboleas.
It is there, paid for by public money, for your use.
Certainly a private company has no right to rent out parts of the building for their private profit.
Also I believe that the building should be available to all the people of Arboleas, Spanish and British.
At the moment it is only available to clients of Sophias, which at the most is 5% of the total residents of Arboleas.

I have no objection to the use of the treatment rooms for authorised activities.
Nor do I see any problem in Sophias providing a gym and other associated activities.
But surely not to the total exclusion of the rest of the people of Arboleas.
The building is big enough to accommodate more that the gym, and the treatment rooms are separate from the 3 main areas, currently totally used exclusively by Sophias.

This is my opinion.
Am I alone in this view?

[Pinkgolf]

Roger's last post mirrors my earlier comments exactly. UK obtained qualifications are usually recognised in countries outside the UK and also outside the EU in countries such as USA and Australia. However, although they are recognised, the practitioner must obtain the relevant permission/authorisation from the relevant country's department of health and, in some cases, take additional qualifications in order to comply with the country's requirements. It is simply not the case of moving out of the UK and setting yourself up in a practice without doing this. Your qualifications may be legal, but it is highly likely your professional indemnity insurance will not be valid, which could cause horrendous problems in the event of a claim. Your insurance company could refuse to pay out on the basis that your qualifications have not been approved and "rubber stamped" by the appropriate body. Why have practitioners not investigated all of this themselves beforehand??? Their professional institutes can provide the appropriate contacts they need in most countries.