Is this the largest Fly-tipping site in Orihuela Costa?

Alongside the AP7 on the western side where the Autopista runs between the Dream Hills 2 and the Entre Golf urbanisations is possibly the largest illegal Fly-tipping site in the Orihuela Costa area. It is so large that it can be seen on Google Earth. When using the zoom-in on the location the dumped rubbish can be seen.

When travelling from Dream Hills 2 across the bridge over the Autopista towards Entre Golf the start of the illegal Fly-tip site can be seen where the unmade up track begins. I say the start of the tip because it runs along both sides of the track for approximately 1000 to 1500 meters. Because of easy access from either end of the track it is the Mecca for Fly-tippers for anything including builders rubbish, unwanted furniture, and packing materials. It has been suggested that animal carcasses have been seen there, although none were seen on my visit.

At the end of March 2008 when the Clean up the Costa campaign was launched pictures of this tip were included in the press release. On the 17^th April 2008 when a list of Fly-tipping sites, supported with photographs, was presented to the Partido Popular Councillor for the Coast, José A. Aniorte Grau, at a meeting in the Ayuntamiento in Playa Flamenca, this site was included in the list.



Since that date nothing appears to have been done to remove this blot on the landscape. At the time of the meeting Clr Aniorte stated that no Bye-law existed on the statutes of the Orihuela Municipality to enable the Council to force the owners of private land to clear the rubbish dumped on their property, or for the Council to act to clear it instead, or to prosecute the offenders carrying out the Fly-tipping. Taking a benevolent attitude to the lack of action it must be presumably the reason that there has been no action to clear the site in 7 months.



Well now that has all changed! At a full session of the Town Council the new Bye-law regulating the control, collection and management of urban waste within the Orihuela Municipality was unanimously approved. The Council no longer has any reason not to deal effectively with the Fly-tipping problems within Orihuela Costa. It has the powers needed to ensure the removal and cleaning up of any Fly-tip sites irrespective of whether they are on public or private land. Within the Bye-law are the powers to prosecute and fine those responsible for the illegal act of Fly-tipping up to the sum of 3000€.

The Council has the Power, let's see if it has the Will, to eliminate this menace to the environment.

Is this the largest Fly-tipping site in Orihuela Costa? If you know of a site that is bigger let us know. If you have a Fly-tip site near you lets us know. Send us, by email to cleanupthecosta@gmail.com , the location details, and some photos, and we will prepare an up-to-date list to present to the PP Councillor for the Coast and ask that the Council deal with these sites without delay.

Click on the photos above for enlarged copies.

More photos are available to view HERE

Calle Antillas is not the West Indies

The Residents on Calle Antillas in Las Filipinas East might have been forgiven in thinking that as the name of their road suggests they would be looking at beautiful scenery from their properties. How wrong could they be, it certainly isn't anything like the West Indies or the Philippines!

Today (20th October 2008) I visited the road at the request of a Resident to look at the two problems suffered by the householders. Not only do they have to put up with enormous quantities of Fly-tipped builders rubbish but also a rotting mountain of garden and other rubbish. Both types have been there for sometime and are continually being added to.



One could try to say that the garden rubbish is just part of the normal daily tipping by local residents, but no, there is far too much for that. There would appear to be a deliberate dumping of waste in this road, possibly by gardening companies with rubbish not from this area, and a failure by Colsur (the current refuse handling company employed by the Council) to remove it. The Council must deal with the Fly-tipped building rubbish direct as Colsur do not have to and therefore will not deal with this problem.

The situation that the Residents have to live with daily is totally unacceptable. The Council have failed in their responsibility to keep the street and green area in this locality of Orihuela Costa clean.

The information and photographs will be forwarded to Councillor Aniorte with a request for immediate action to clean up this road in the fight to Clean up the Costa. There cannot be any excuse for this rubbish to remain there any longer, as the Council now have the necessary Bye-law to deal with any rubbish on private land, an excuse given for non-action on their part in the past.



Click on the photographs for enlarged copies.

Second Grand Clean-up - 12th November

We would again give our sincere thanks to all those fantastic volunteers who helped to clean-up a very large part of Calle Niagara last Thursday (16th October).

We have already been asked by many people when the next Grand Clean-up will take place. It is to be Wednesday the 12th November 2008 and will start at 10.00 am. The final choice of location is still to be decided and will be announced closer to the day.

Depending on the number of volunteers available on the day, perhaps we might be able to tackle two sites at the same time, one at each end of Orihuela Costa! If those persons who are going to attend could confirm this by email to cleanupthecosta@gmail.com or by telephone to 965319660 this will help us to assess if this (two locations) is possible.

140 Bags of Rubbish from Calle Niagara

Today (16th October 2008) we had the first of the Grand Clean-ups in Orihuela Costa and what a fantastic response from the Residents of the Coast. These clean-ups are in addition to those carried out by local groups in their own area.

In excess of 70 people gave their time to help clean-up a large part of Calle Niagara with the result that approximately 140 bags of litter in total, were collected, from three locations in the road. The clean-up began at 10.00 am and lasted for about one hour. Some of the residents wanted to spend more time cleaning but the temperature was rising and it was felt that enough had been done at this time. Residents who live close to Calle Niagara are intending to carry on the work on future occasions.

The excellent result of this show of people power and community spirit is a very much cleaner C/ Niagara and shows the Council what can be done where there is a will.

Following a telephone call to the Ayuntamiento in Playa Flamenca, shortly after the completion of the Grand Clean-up, to request the collection of the 140 bags, it has been reported to the Los Verdes coordinators that the bags were removed within 2 to 3 hours.

Was this a sign of efficiency by the Council or a desire to clear away the evidence of their failure to keep Orihuela Costa clean!

The Los Verdes Working Group in Orihuela Costa give their sincere thanks to all who took part. The response from the Residents was greater than could have been hoped for. Details (location, time and date) of the second Grand Clean-up, in approximately 4 weeks, will be announce shortly.

I'll let the photographs tell the story better than I can.



Click on the photographs to see enlargements.

Campaign promoted on Canal Vega Baja TV.

Today Ulla Perret and Elliot Sampford , members of the campaign coordinating team were invited quests on the new daily news and current affairs programme 'Vega Life', transmitted on Canal Vega Baja television daily from 12.00 to 1.00 pm and which is aimed at English speaking viewers.

In addition to discussing various news items the opportunity was given to outline details of the Clean up the Costa campaign with particular emphasis to the Grand Clean-up to be held at 10.00 am on Thursday 16th October 2008, in Calle Niagara, Orihuela Costa.

We are hoping that the television company will follow up on the publicity today with a visit on the morning of the event. The more publicity that the campaign gets, the more volunteers will help, with the result of a cleaner Orihuela Costa.

Earlier in the day Monserrate Guillén, Los Verdes councillor for the coast, held a press conference for the Spanish media to announce the Grand Clean-up.

Photograph: Left to Right; Ulla Perret, Natalie Sampford, Gérard Perret

Signs for Extra Help

To help the registered volunteers after they have completed a 'People's Litter Pick-up' we are now able to provide signs (as shown in the photograph) that can be placed in the ground on the area that has been cleaned. There is an alternative option of signs that can be attached to fences or walls.

To receive the signs register with the campaign and tell us when and where the clean-up will be. These are in addition to the Free starter kits of hats, badges, stickers and initial supply of refuse bags. Those who have already completed and notified the campaign of their successful Litter Pick-up will receive the signs in the next few days.

To register your wish to help 'Clean up the Costa' with a People's 'Litter Pick-up', or to report the success of your 'Litter Pick-up', send an email to cleanupthecosta@gmail.com .

Clean up the Costa at the Campoamor Market

On Thursday the 2nd October members of the Los Verdes Working Group in Orihuela Costa, who are coordinating the Clean up the Costa campaign, were present at the Market in Campoamor to promote the campaign in general and the Grand Litter Pick-up to be held in Calle Niagara at 10.00 am on Thursday 16th October 2008.

The interest and positive response from the public was very encouraging with several confirmed pledges of attendance at the clean-up in C/ Niagara, in addition to registrations for the campaign in general.

Several people took the opportunity to talk to representatives of Los Verdes of Orihuela about their concerns in respect of the management of the market. (See the Los Verdes in Orihuela Costa Blog for more information)