Removable Awnings in Tabarca

Removable sail-style shades will provide shade to the arid streets of the village on Tabarca Island during the summer. However, they will only cover part of the area, as the awnings, installed last week, will be removed on July 15. This means just 15 days of operation for a demand that was part of the negotiations with Vox regarding the budget.

The spokesperson for the Government team, Cristina Cutanda, explained in the press conference following the Government Board meeting that the installation aligns with the specifications in the tender. She acknowledged that the permit from the Conselleria—required due to the special protection of the island's village architecture—only allowed for 15 days of installation.

Nonetheless, Cutanda defended that the installation of these awnings was also a neighbourhood request that has been addressed. She insisted that despite the complaints from some villagers, the installation was completed within the indicated timeframe and with the necessary supports to ensure safety.

The councillor did not want to specify whether it will be possible to extend the period for which these canopies remain installed next year. However, the Government team states that they are working to extend these shades to other areas of the city and that once the decision is made on which neighbourhoods and streets are most suitable, it will be publicly announced.

Among this year's novelties on the island, the agents of the Alicante Fire Prevention, Extinction, and Rescue Service (SPEIS) will have a station in Tabarca. The container that will serve the firefighters stationed in this enclave will be installed this week, and the City Council is finalising the necessary insurance procedures for its operation.

Cutanda explained that the island's particularities, as a protected site, have made the necessary authorisations more complex.

This Tuesday, the Local Government Board also approved putting out to tender the concession of the Governor's House Hotel in Tabarca for fifteen years with a fee starting at 160,141 euros.

The current Boutique Hotel Isla de Tabarca has 15 rooms and a 3-star rating. The concession must maintain these 15 rooms, one of which is a double adapted for people with reduced mobility, 13 doubles, and one family room. The category is currently approved, so if the awardee plans to modify it, they must submit a project to the Conselleria de Turismo to change the rating based on the services provided.

The building of the former Governor's House that houses the hotel infrastructure is an 18th-century building restored to provide tourist services in Tabarca.

The hotel must remain open all year round, but it may close for three months during the low season if the awardee so decides.