PLANS to turn the old Terminal-1 of El Altet airport into a major outlet area with shops, restaurants and leisure facilities have been unveiled.

Alicante company ‘Aerovillage’ has presented the €40 million project to the Spanish Airport Authority (AENA). With the support of foreign investors, it aims to build a 40,000m2 area with 109 stores and restaurants, a hotel, and indoor karting track and an area for flight, skiing and racing simulators, which is expected to create 650 jobs.

Since the arrival of the new terminal at El Altet, with capacity for 25 million passengers per year, the old Terminal-1 will no longer be used and is amongst the buildings for which AENA wants private investors. 

Aerovillage began talks with AENA back in 2011, but the project has still not been approved. The plan for an outlet store area has been well-received in the region, since many families travel as far as Madrid for similar shopping and leisure centres. It is hoped a new one at El Altet would attract many people. 

The hotel would be aimed at people who need to stop at El Altet overnight before catching a connecting flight, as well as crew members. 

UNREGISTERED residents lose La Nucia €1.1 million each year. The town has a population of 19,135 residents according to national statistics institute INE, entitling the town to a yearly transfer of €3.3 million from the central government.

The true number is nearer 30,000, the town hall believes.  If La Nucia can increase the padron to 25,500 the amount from Madrid would increase by 34 per cent, bringing in another €1.1 million.

Not only the town hall stands to profit, because the extra money could be ploughed back into the municipality.  Services would improve and local taxes lowered, explained mayor Bernabe Cano.  

The town hall, backed by the collaboration of several foreign consulates, has launched an Empadronamiento campaign, encouraging residents of all nationalities to register on the “padron.”

Posters have been printed in several languages. “Register now,” urges the English-language version, under the heading “We are all residents of La Nucia.”

Empadronamiento also provides both foreign and Spanish residents with access to vital services that include schools, health care and social services, Cano pointed out.

COSTA BLANCA MOUNTAIN WALKERS SCHEDULE

Saturday 25th May

a) Dos Ermitas. Moderate, mostly good tracks. Small "party" after. 12 kms, 5 hours, 450m ascent. No dogs. Peter 669 873 159.

 b) Llosa leg stretcher. Moderately strenuous, some rough terrain. 12 kms, 5 hours, 560m ascent. Dogs on leads at rear. Gordon 635 281 284

 c) Granadella walk & beach. Moderately strenuous, some rough terrain. 7 kms, 3 hours, 400m ascent. No dogs. Geoff 696 032 882

Wednesday 29th May

 a) Javea La Plana. Moderate, some rough terrain. 10 kms, 3 hours, 165m ascent. Rough & steep paths on the descent midway. Dogs on leads at rear. Ann 646 716 303

 b) Javea La Plana II. Easy,  good tracks. 9 kms, 3 hours, minimal ascent. No dogs. Alan 965 583 637

PLEASE NOTE: AFTER THESE TWO WALKS WE WILL HAVE THE END OF SEASON LUNCH AT THE RESTAURANTE AMANACER. Reservations already booked from the website.

Walks depart promptly at 10am unless otherwise noted. Boots, packed lunch and adequate drinking water required. First aid kit recommended, as well as protection against sun, wind and rain. Walkers participate at their own risk.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the time stated for each walk will always depend on the fitness and ability of the walkers and also the weather and passage conditions on the day of the walk. The rules and guidelines for walking are given on our website, see http://www.cbmwalkers.org.  Please also refer to this website for any last minute changes to the walks. 

OOPS! This lorry driver decided he knew better than the warning sign. Hoping to squeeze under this railway bridge in Altea he was left with a red face when he got stuck.

And it took Local Police to divert traffic away and clear a path before the driver could extricate his truck from the jam he had got into. After letting air out of his tyres to lower the lorry’s height he reversed out of his predicament, last Friday.

Traffic problems were kept to a minimum as drivers found alternative routes. Then with nothing worse than a crumpled aerial, dinted container and maybe a slightly bruised ego for the driver, the lorry was on its way.