La Cañada del Fenollar seeks independence from Alicante

There are couples that last forever and others that are always at odds. The latter is the case for the rural area of Cañada del Fenollar, which has recently started a consultation among local residents to determine whether they prefer to remain part of Alicante or if a timely separation to join the municipality of San Vicente is more desirable.

The Cañada del Fenollar neighbourhood association has launched a referendum to gauge whether the majority of inhabitants favour independence from the capital. Their aim is to explore the possibility of separation and, above all, to express their dissatisfaction with what they perceive as "neglect" and "inaction" by the Alicante City Council regarding the area's issues.

"We want to explore legal avenues, although we have been informed that it is legally challenging," explains José Cremades, president of the Cañada del Fenollar Neighbourhood Association. Nevertheless, they insist on working with local entities to draft a manifesto reflecting the residents' opinions.

Additionally, the association notes that historically, the rural area was part of San Vicente del Raspeig during the 19th century, which they cite as a historical connection to support their claim for annexation.

The association aims to highlight the "deficiencies" of the area through this referendum. They criticise that despite being a part of the city, they lack public services, even though they pay taxes in Alicante like any other neighbourhood.

Cremades explains that it has been the residents who have driven recent actions in the neighbourhood. "We had to do the City Council's job in fighting illegal settlements," he states, also denouncing a campaign of harassment against local leaders.

Among the criticisms is also the delay in constructing the new school in La Cañada del Fenollar, as the current one is in a flood-prone area. Compromís and Esquerra Unida-Podem presented a proposal at the April plenary session, held last Thursday, to request the Directorate General of Infrastructures of the Department of Education to expedite the approval of increased funding for the construction of this educational centre. The proposal was unanimously approved by all groups.

Before the debate, both the neighbourhood association and the Parents' Association of the Primary Education Centre (CEIP) La Cañada demanded that the construction of the new centre be prioritised. Meanwhile, they called for the removal of illegal settlements surrounding it, cleaning of debris and scrap, closure of the poultry farm in the area, and demolition of the wall in the Pepiol ravine, which acts as a dam, raising water levels in case of torrential rains. "What are students today could be floating corpses on Postiguet beach tomorrow," asserted the neighbourhood leader.

Meanwhile, from the AMPA, its president, Marina Benimeli, explained that the centre has deficiencies such as "barracks for 19 years, cables gnawed by rats, or bathroom pipes that collapse over the dining room every fortnight." "We've been waiting a year for a mere signature; the only conclusion is that no one cares, that the file is in a drawer because we are nothing," this mother stated. The AMPA also warned of the danger faced by students and teachers in the centre in case of flooding. Additionally, they have requested Queen Leticia to inaugurate the new school once it is built.

The Councillor for Education, Mari Carmen de España, explained in the Plenary that the Government team remains committed to ensuring that the school authorisation will indeed arrive and that procedures will commence "as we did with El Somni school." "I do not deny that the procedures are lengthy, but I commit to ensuring that the works will indeed start as soon as possible," affirmed de España.