The Eivissa and Formentera local action group for rural development, whose vice-president Santi Juan also serves as the councillor of infrastructures of the Formentera Council, announced today that the island would be benefit from €200,000 in government subsidies to assist in the construction of an industrial space for local agricultural workers.

Santi Juan has indicated that the assistance package “will be funnelled toward construction of a space to be called the Formentera Cooperative ('La Cooperativa de Formentera'), of eminent importance to what has been an ongoing effort by the current administration to revitalise Formentera's countryside. Construction of the industrial space will begin immediately. What this particular subsidy means is that the financial burden of the present infrastructural improvements will be greatly reduced”.

The project to create an industrial space for the Formentera Cooperative – authored by architect Xavier Pallejà – is expected to have a total price tag of €614,000. The cooperative will be situated in Formentera's industrial park, an area just outside the town of Sant Francesc, on property that was recently acquired by the Formentera Council.

Since last Friday, 23 January, the Council of Formentera's highway maintenance crew – known as xarxa viària – has been charged with the task of fitting some 300 fence posts alongside the island's primary thoroughfare with protective casings. The casings serve to safeguard against the dangerous 'guillotine' effect that can potentially occur in the event of roadside accidents, especially those involving motorcycles and scooters.

The majority of the crew's work will involve simple replacement of pre-existing casings that have deteriorated or come off over time. So far, most have been placed along the section of highway approaching La Mola, but their installation is also planned for the Sant Francesc roundabout and segments of road near Es Caló.

The purchase of some 200 protective casings was required to supplement xarxa viària's existing stock, bringing total cost of the action to €4,200. In addition to replacing the protective casings, the highway maintenance crew is also currently switching out any deteriorated road signs as they are found.