Involving the island council, local councils and coastal authorities

ŒOperation clean-up´ to ready urbanisations for the tourists

Binibeca Vell. Work has started on resurfacing the urbanisation´s roads

Clearing rubbish tips, repairing streetlights and resurfacing roads are some of the more urgent and pressing items included in the Menorcan Image Plan

CHRISTINE M. WATtERSON.Maó

The majority of the island´s urbanisations are currently being subjected to a clean-up operation to ready them for the expected influx of tourists next month. In the opinion of many of those connected with tourism, the state of the resorts leaves much to be desired and the hoteliers´ association, ASHOME, has called on the local councils to clean up and put in order those areas most visited by tourists. The association believes that Menorca is facing a difficult season and that the relationship between price and quality falls short in too many of the island´s resorts.

The Island Council has drawn up a Menorcan Image Plan through which it will try to resolve each of the deficiencies detected in the tourist areas, giving priority to completing the most urgent before the start of the season. The Council has asked local authorities to take action on some of these, including clearing rubbish tips in the resorts and surrounding areas and repairing streetlights and other fixtures. The Town Councils are also obliged to inform their citizens of special services, such as specific rubbish collections, and to make public the maximum prices that can be charged for beach services.

For its part, the Island Council has to provide information to the local authorities and involved businesses on the cleaning services existing for each beach and to improve these both in respect of manpower and manhours. In May, work will start on clearing seaweed from beaches. Another problem to be tackled is improving the surface on various roads, although it will not be possible to take action before the start of the season.

The Island Council has asked the Coastal Authorities to take action on some of the items included in the Image Plan, such as repairs and improvements to the jetties and beach access at Alcaufar, removing stones from the beach at Cala Alcaufar, improvements to the viewpoint at Binidalí and repairs and improvements to Cala Morell´s jetties.

The Balearic Government has also been given its tasks which include adapting Alcaufar´s beach so that it can be used by handicapped people, improving the car park at Sa Mesquida, and road improvements in Binisafúller, Binibeca Nou, Cala en Porter and Macaret.

Included in the Image Plan are undertakings by the local Councils in various respects. In the Sant Lluís district, the tourist resorts will have a daily rubbish collection, there will be more police presence and access roads will be improved. The urbanisations in Es Castell will have a tourist information office which will operate with effect from May. In Alaior, specifically in Cala en Porter, it is anticipated that secondary roads will be resurfaced before the start of summer. Maó has put into operation a daily rubbish collection in its tourist areas. Ciutadella Council has decided to create a special brigade for cleaning and repairs so that action can be taken swiftly. Urbanisations in Ferreries and Es Migjorn are to have a daily cleaning service. In the Es Mercadal district there are major problems in those urbanisations for which the Council is not responsible.

Representatives of the Island Council and local authorities are due meet this week to see what progress has been made on the urgent items.