The Mayor, José Alberto Armijo, and the Councillor for Environment, Nieves Atencia, have been meeting with the provincial delegate for Environment, Francisco Fernández España, to discuss, once again, the PGOU, the Rio Chillar and the protected Maro-Cerro Gordo area.
The Councillor for Environment pointed out that the new PGOU is already with the provincial authorities in both digital and written format and requested that matters be expedited so that it can be provisionally approved.
After several years of delay in formulating the new PGOU, the Council now wants it to go through the approval process as soon as possible.
Also discussed was the situation along the rio Chillar, an area which attracts a lot of visitors, particularly during the summer months. However, many of these visitors are environmentally unfriendly and leave a mountain of rubbish behind. The Council wants to be able to regulate the area, including restricting vehicular access.
The provincial delegate agreed to visit the area along with the director of conservation for the Natural Parks, Ricardo Salas, to study the situation for themselves and to see what steps could be taken to regulate the area.
Simple solution: Why not:
- Have a sign asking people to act responsibly within the area.
- Install suitable rubbish bins at strategic points.
- Have a dedicated cleaning team to collect rubbish.
This would keep the area clean and, perhaps more importantly, generate local employment. Much better than restricting access and might attract rather than repel tourists/vistors to the area.
Another item on the agenda was the protected area around Maro, the Council once again urging the launch of the Plan for Use and Management of the Natural park.