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Protest by traders on January 19th. Miriam Gil Albert
Five Alternative Locations Considered for the 'Hippies' of the Esplanade

Five Alternative Locations Considered for the 'Hippies' of the Esplanade

Traders proposed various spaces in the city, which for different reasons, did not receive approval from the Alicante City Council

Tere Compañy Martínez

Alicante

Jueves, 30 de enero 2025, 07:26

Time is ticking for the 'hippies' of the Esplanade, and if nothing changes by Friday, January 31st, traders will bid farewell to what has been their home for over 40 years. During these days, the Esplanade Vendors Association will continue to demand that when the market's closure was decided, it was with the promise of relocation, which today seems impossible.

On one hand, the latest proposal from the Alicante City Council near the Lonja - on Port Authority land - is not favoured by those concerned, who consider the space too small for the stalls. The City Council also mediated in the proposal to move the market to the Postiguet breakwater, just behind the Meliá hotel, an alternative that has stalled between the City Council and the Directorate General of Coasts. "They have only offered us proposals outside the municipal boundaries of Alicante, on Port and Coasts land. It's like offering me your neighbour's house," criticises the association's spokesperson, Lucía Ramelló.

The proposals presented by traders to the City Council in recent times have not convinced the local administration. Relocation options such as the parking lot in front of Paseíto Ramiro, Gadea promenade, or Canalejas, which were rejected at the time for various legal and technical reasons, have yet to find a solution for this market.

1

Postiguet Beach Parking

One of the first proposals made by traders for their relocation was precisely the parking lot on Gómiz promenade, right in front of Paseíto Ramiro. With the vendors' proposal, one direction of this parking lot would become pedestrianised, and the other would be modified to create one lane for each direction.

This area has about a hundred regulated parking spaces for vehicles, 18 for motorcycles, and several for services. According to the City Council, and based on the plans presented by the Esplanade Vendors Association, installing the stalls in this space would reduce 91 spaces, which they believe would cause an imbalance in the public regulated parking service management contract, as only 16 spaces would remain.

Parking at Paseíto Ramiro. TA

The City Council's report also notes that this space generates approximately 917 euros per year per space, about 87,000 euros that the municipal coffers would lose if the space were reduced. But these are not the only reasons; municipal technicians also cite the lack of other parking areas near some of the city's most important tourist spots and that their installation would prevent the space from being used for other events held in the area.

Finally, the technical staff advises against this location "given the inconveniences that the installation of the Esplanade market stalls would cause" and recommends that traders "look for another more suitable place."

2

Canalejas Park

Another proposal from the AVE was Canalejas Park. In this case, the rejection came from the Green Areas Department, which does not authorise permanent installation "because the park is not designed to accommodate it, reducing the area available for public use."

The technician explains in their report that this garden has protected trees, so installation is not allowed under the safety area, and also mentions that nothing can be installed under the ficus "because it would increase the risk of causing an accident."

3 and 4

Central Walk of Federico Soto and Gadea

Regarding Federico Soto promenade, the government team considers that different markets are set up in this space on special dates, such as the Christmas and Epiphany Craft Market and the Cascaruja and Porrate Christmas Market. It is also the chosen location for some temporary activities like Book Fairs or the Hogueras Market. The technician considers these installations incompatible with the presence of Esplanade vendors, as only about 29 metres would remain, barely enough for seven stalls.

In the case of Gadea promenade, the City Council refers to authorised terraces, as well as the installation of three racós during the city's official festivities. With these limitations, the space where stalls could be installed is divided into four, and only 20 of these constructions would fit.

Gadea Promenade. Miriam Gil Albert

The technicians' report notes that the current Esplanade market consists of 31 stalls measuring 3x2.70 metres and separated by a 1.20-metre aisle between them. With these measurements on both promenades (7.60 and 8 metres), there would be free passages of just over 4 metres, which technicians consider "insufficient," considering that the space would not only be for pedestrian transit but also for potential market customers.

In the case of Gadea, it is also considered that the installation of the hippies involves removing some of the benches from this promenade to attach the stalls to the flowerbeds, "compromising pedestrian accessibility of the promenade and general public use." For all these reasons, the technician advises against installation based on the narrowness of the "available pedestrian passage."

5

Another Location on the Esplanade

Another proposal made by traders was to request another space on the Esplanade of Spain, in this case on the side closest to the Port. Technicians consider that the market's suppression agreement of March 30, 2023, was adopted "with the aim of reclaiming the most emblematic area of the municipality of Alicante for the use and enjoyment of all residents and visitors."

Thus, technicians insist that the removal of the hippies aims to "achieve a more open promenade, with space to walk and visually connecting with the seafront." Therefore, they reject their installation on one side, as it "would compromise the achievement of the objectives pursued by the aforementioned agreement."

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