The Ministry to Remove Piled Earth Remains from Future Central Park Site in Alicante

Tubes, debris, and remains of earth and stone are part of the landscape of what should become the Central Park of Alicante in a few years. The construction of the Tram Central Station and the accumulation of construction debris have exacerbated the neglect issues of the freed lands that residents have been complaining about for years.

This time, the works are causing new accumulations, far from the residents' desires to clean the area. The mounds of earth add to the remains of the underground works that have been exposed for years between fenced areas and provisional pathways that were set up to connect these city neighbourhoods. "If it were just earth, it might be acceptable, but it's debris, remains of pipes or concrete. It's prohibited to dump unprocessed debris," says María Rosario Buyolo, spokesperson for the PAU 1 neighbourhood association.

A problem that, according to FGV, will be temporary, possibly lasting days or a few weeks. The waste is from the alternative parking construction for the new Tram Central Station, although it is being deposited on Adif land. Sources confirm that it mainly consists of earth with some pavement remains and that, after crushing, it will be used to fill these works.

However, for the residents, the provisional nature does not inspire confidence. Diego Alcaraz, spokesperson for the 'Central Park, Now!' platform, explains that "the debris left from the AVE undergrounding remains untreated in the area." This group has organised a rally for March 21st at 7 p.m. at the Ficus of the Red Bridge to demand that the park's development be separated from the rest of the area. "Building a park is very cheap; if we have to wait for the construction and sale of housing and the Intermodal Station, we will never see it," Alcaraz insists.

Residents living in neighbourhoods like PAU 1, Princesa Mercedes, or La Florida have been demanding for years that the area be cleaned to prevent pests such as rats and snakes. They also request that the land be levelled to expedite the construction of Central Park and allow pedestrian access. It was the residents' struggle that achieved the installation of provisional pathways that permanently broke the barrier historically posed by the train tracks.

"But, moreover, they treat the residents poorly," Buyolo complains, because "the workers tell us that it's theirs and they'll do whatever they want, that they own the land and do as they please." This neighbourhood leader demands that the City Council itself call for the cleaning of plots and urges the Council to take action. "I will die without seeing the park, but at least keep the area clean and pest-free," Buyolo demands.