The Nerja Council has referred to the Health Department of the Junta de Andalucía a list of possible sites for a new Health Centre in the town. There are now four possible sites, the Council having carefully whittled this down from the original choice of two plots of land!
Although the spokesperson for the PP, José Miguel García, listed these choices in a recent radio interview as being a plot near the Burriana roundabout, next to the current health centre, behind the Sala de Mercado on the Rio Chillar riverbed and an undisclosed plot at the southern end of town, he now says that details of the locations will be made known next week after the Junta de Andalucía receives all the paperwork.
The Opposition PSOE leader, Angel Ramirez, accused the PP Council of not wanting to return the €1.2 million advanced by the Junta de Andalucía under the 2003 agreement whereby financing of the project was to be 50%-50% with the Nerja Council.
José Miguel García responded by saying that the money is sitting in an account but is not being returned at the moment for several reasons.
The Junta de Andalucia is asking for the return of not €1.2 million, but €1.4 million, claiming that the funds were a ‘loan’ and, on that basis, they are charging interest. The Council does not agree with this view, saying it was an ‘advance’ and not a ‘loan’.
The Council wants to deduct various (to be agreed) expenses already incurred with the project.
The Council says it could not return the money this year anyway as it is not included in the municipal budget!
Wranglings about money, four possible sites to be investigated, numerous drafts and reports to be made for each one, approval processes…We could be looking at a timescale comparable to the sewage plant at this rate! I’ts already been 5 years and the site hasn’t even been chosen!