At the beginning of 2007, the population of Nerja reached the magical figure of 20,000, a landmark which gave the municipality not only two extra councillors, but also full administrative control over Community Social Services. The two new councillors were rapidly installed and the building of a new Community Social Services Centre was touted as being a matter of ‘urgent necessity’ at a Council meeting which took place on April 13th 2007.
The current Social services Department is housed in a council-owned apartment on the Balcón de Europa and was deemed too small and overcrowded to handle the increased administrative responsibility. At the meeting on April 13th 2007, the Councillor for Social Affairs, Angelica Portillo, put in a request for the use of a 176.70 square metre plot of municipal land at the back of calle San Miguel as the site for a new centre.
In September 2007, Councillor Portillo presented a draft project to the Council with an estimated cost of €471,404, with €282,842 being financed by the Junta de Andalucía and the rest by the municipality. At the same meeting, Councillor Portillo stated in her motion, which was approved by the Council, that the investment should be made in the same year as the request for the subsidy, i.e. in 2007.
On December 12th 2007, the Council approved the agreement submitted by the Department of Equality and Social Welfare to construct a new Community Social Services Centre with funding commitments being made for 2007-2008.
On December 28th 2007, just two weeks after approving the agreement, the Council is now asking the Department of Equality and Social Welfare to modify its financial requests in respect of the project, effectively putting them off for another year. So much for ‘urgent necessity’.