Alicante City Council has sought to reassure Hogueras committees concerning the new safety guidelines that the Prevention, Fire Extinction, and Rescue Service (Fire Department) plans to implement for 2027. The Councilor for Festivities, Cristina Cutanda, clarified that the document is still in the drafting phase and that the proposals for objections submitted by the festival sector are being analyzed by municipal technicians and the government team.
The issue of safety guidelines occupied a significant portion of the press conference following the Local Government Board meeting. In this session, the municipal executive also approved the public exhibition of the detailed study for Nueva Albufereta. Cutanda announced a meeting for this afternoon with the Federation of Hogueras, commission presidents, and barracas to discuss both the Fire Department's guidelines and the payment of pending subsidies.
The councilor acknowledged the committees' concern and argued that any improvements to municipal regulations will be discussed with the sector. The Fire Department's guidelines aim to standardize safety conditions, but the text is not yet finalized. The committees have submitted their objections and proposals, which are now under analysis, seeking to balance the celebration of the festivities with the demands of safety and emergency services.
Cutanda also admitted that bureaucracy is an issue to be addressed, due to the increase in procedures and requirements in recent years, especially for committees lacking their own professional advice. Municipal technicians, she stated, assist committees with queries regarding racós, barracas, events, or projects, but the rise in requirements necessitates finding solutions.
Regarding subsidies, payment to the committees is pending due to a documentation issue with the Hoguera Polígono de San Blas. The City Council will consider paying the aid to the rest if the committees unanimously agree not to wait, temporarily excluding the one that has not completed the documentation.
The La Albufereta commission will finally set up its racó on Olimpo street. After evaluating other locations, forestry regulations have limited the available alternatives. The authorization will be annual, and the location's functionality will be assessed this year. This decision will not affect bus passage or main traffic, which will be diverted to a nearby street.
Regarding the future Foundation for the Centenary of the Hogueras, Cutanda indicated that proposals from the opposition will be analyzed before presenting the document to the plenary session, aiming for maximum consensus. The draft statutes were already shared with municipal groups, but no proposals have been received yet. The foundation will be formally established after the statutes are approved in the plenary session.
The Local Government Board has also approved the submission for public information of the detailed study for Nueva Albufereta (sector PP-1/4, block M-2). This process opens a 20-day period for objections. The study reorganizes the volumetry without increasing the buildable area, maintaining a maximum of ten floors and proposing four residential blocks to improve ventilation and sunlight exposure. A new connecting road towards Caja de Ahorros avenue is incorporated.
The development of Nueva Albufereta foresees around 1,000 homes, about a hundred of which will be protected housing. Adjudication criteria will be evaluated in later stages of the promotion.
Esquerra Unida Podem has criticized the new urban development push, viewing it as a model focused on real estate business at the expense of social needs. The party questions the reactivation of this residential project in a prime area while other neighborhoods suffer deficits. They criticize the volumetric reorganization and the necessity of the new road, expressing concern about the impact on the BIC (Asset of Cultural Interest) of the Cerro de las Balsas and the Iberian settlement.
The deputy mayor, Manuel Villar, addressed the Les Naus case, stating that the government team has not yet decided whether the mayor, Luis Barcala, will appear before the investigation committee. Villar reiterated that the mayor will consider his appearance when the time comes, despite repeated questions from journalists.
Regarding the vacancy in the General Directorate of Internal Organization, Public Procurement, and Fund Management, left by María Pérez-Hickman, Villar indicated that the government team has not considered or discussed the replacement or the urgency of filling the position. Pérez-Hickman returned to her role as head of the Procurement area after the controversy over the protected housing in Les Naus.
On the potential involvement of the City Council in the Les Naus case, Villar confirmed that it is still under consideration, with no final decision. He recalled that the council filed a complaint with the Prosecutor's Office and stated that it is now up to the judicial procedure to verify the events.
The Local Government Board has also approved an extension to the execution deadline for the urbanization works in the La Almadraba beach area, setting the completion for May 29th. The City Council anticipates that the project will be received during the first half of July, without affecting the summer season. The intervention, with an investment of 6.8 million euros, includes environmental regeneration, pedestrian paths, rest areas, children's play zones, and a sustainable drainage system.
