Ronda Council is diverting funds of €340,000 to renovate the Edificio del Mueble Rondeño, a building only constructed in 2006 at a cost of €1.2 million and a move which has attracted criticism from opposition parties.
The Edificio del Mueble Rondeño was originally conceived as an interpretation centre for Ronda furniture but has been hardly used and has already fallen into disrepair.
This move was further criticised on the grounds that the Council apparently still doesn’t know for what purpose the building will be used. The funds were originally intended to convert the Convento Madre de Dios into a Hospitality School.
The Mayor of Ronda, Antonio Marín, explained that the convent was owned by Unicaja and that the Hospitality School has, in the meantime, been realised by the Employers’ Association APYMER. Therefore, he added, it had been decided to divert the funds.
This is not the only occasion recently that funds have been diverted from their original purpose. The renovation of plaza Carmen Abela is being carried out with €818,000 of funds originally intended to complete the renovation of the Carrera Espinel. However, local businesses did not look favourably upon this idea and the funds were diverted.
In addition, a €20,000 surplus relating to the equipping of the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos in Ronda has been used for the Municipal Archives.