Preventing rockslides in Finestrat

THE Penya cliff where Finestrat’s old town stands is currently being reinforced.

Triple-torsion geo-mesh netting, routinely used to reinforce retaining walls and prevent erosion and rockslides, culminates measures carried out since 2009 to ensure the stability of the gypsum cliff and minimise the effects of erosion.

These have included replacing domestic water and sewage pipes in Calle Fondo to avert possible leaks. The storm drains which in the past flowed into La Penya have also been rerouted and all pipes are now inspected periodically for leaks.

Plants and undergrowth endangering La Penya have also been eliminated, explained Works and Services councillor Juan Francisco Perez. “We are protecting the town’s heritage and above all, guaranteeing residents’ safety,” he said.

“We shall continue to concentrate on forestalling deterioration of one of the town’s most emblematic characteristics,” Perez said.

The €286,830 cost will be partly subsidised by the Alicante provincial government and work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.