Alicante to Plant 1,000 Trees Annually Over the Next Three Years

Los pulmones verdes de Alicante crecerán a razón de mil árboles más al año durante el próximo trieno, según la previsión del Ayuntamiento de Alicante para la próxima contrata de espacios naturales. La Junta de Gobierno Local ha sacado a concurso el mantenimiento de zonas verdes de la ciudad por un montante en conjunto aproximado de 45 millones de euros. Es uno de los más importantes de la gestión municipal, junto con el de limpieza.

Alicante requires the care of more than three million square meters of green areas, 75,000 trees in streets and squares, over 6,500 square meters of flowerbeds, and the urban and peri-urban mountains of the city, along with 540 planters distributed throughout the city. It also includes the maintenance of the landscaped areas of Tabarca Island, Santa Bárbara Castle, and parks such as Pedro Goitia, Lo Morant, La Marjal, Sergio Melgares, Juan Pablo II, Isla de Corfú, El Palmeral, La Ereta, and those of La Tuna and del Mar.

This service has been divided into three lots: one for parks and green areas; another for forest areas, and a third for training, as specified in the municipal government's agreement.

Lot 2 is intended for the care of forest areas (Benacantil, Serra Grossa, Orgegia, Cala Cantalar, Tossal, Sierra del Porquet...) and lot 3 is reserved for special employment centers responsible for the area of Vía Parque between Gastón Castelló and Avenida de Novelda, as well as the gardens of Benisaudet.

As the area increases, the new contract assumes an increase of up to 170 personnel for the maintenance and care of these green areas, with a minimum of 20 more operatives each year, and an annual increase of one million euros. Additionally, a new team is added to the second lot, bringing the total to four teams for the maintenance of the municipality's forests.

The goal is for the new contract to be operational by 2026, coinciding with the expiration of the current one on December 31 of this year. The specifications include new machinery to be incorporated, prioritizing sustainability with the use of electric energy wherever possible, as was applied in the previous contract.

The Councillor for Parks and Gardens, Rafael Alemañ, explained that "we are initiating the process of renewing the green space maintenance contract for nearly 45 million euros for the next four years, with another possible extension, with a projected annual increase of one million compared to the previous contract due to the annual incorporation of new green areas into the contract."

"The workforce will be strengthened with the addition of 20 more operatives each year," added the councillor. "Similarly, the City Council will increase the number of forest brigades from three to four, as established in the previous contract by the government team of Luis Barcala, to care for the city's urban and peri-urban mountains, and we will also maintain collaboration with Special Employment Centers in caring for the green corridor of Vía Parque and the green areas of Benisaudet and its surroundings," emphasized Alemañ.