News

Fibre-optic connection in every town on Formentera

Friday, 06 September 2019 14:29

fibra-o--ptica1 The Department of New Technologies of the Consell de Formentera announces that with the recent completion of work in es Ca Marí, ses Bardetes and part of es Cap de Barbaria, fibre-optic connection is now a reality in every urban centre on the island.

Cosponsored by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), installation of the fibre-optic grid began in 2017, overseen by Telefónica, Teleco and the Consell de Formentera.

In April 2018, Sant Francesc became the first town on the grid; es Pujols, sa Roqueta, the industrial park, Sant Ferran, la Savina, the hospital and its immediate vicinity, es Caló, la Mola, es Ca Marí, ses Bardetes and part of es Cap de Barbaria followed in its wake, with various additional connections near urban areas.

The effort was devised, in part, to bury cabling that had previously been strung overhead.

According to new technologies councillor Vanessa Parellada, the upgrades “bring Formentera up to pace with other territories in Spain”. “Islanders in urban areas, as well as most businesses, now have a fibre-optic connection”, she said. “Next year the plan is to continue expanding to the Formentera's more remote corners.” Parellada pointed out that islanders interested in connecting to the grid should contact telephone service providers.

The second phase of the plan starts in 2020 and will see more far-flung areas of Formentera gaining access to the same grid. The removal of copper cables is also in the works.

6 September 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Consell de Formentera and Govern stake upgrades to energy model on coordination

Wednesday, 04 September 2019 15:23

reunio-4-1- The president of the Consell de Formentera, Alejandra Ferrer, received a visit today from the Balearic minister of energy transition and manufacturing sectors, Juan Pedro Yllanes. The first encounter of its kind, the working meeting saw Ferrer and Yllanes agreeing on the need for coordination in key areas like assuring access to government benefits related to the environment, business, and power supply and the energy transition on Formentera.

Ferrer highlighted recent glitches on the local supply of electricity that occasioned service interruptions and other incidents this summer like a fire in la Mola. “The Govern has pledged its support in getting the firm in question to conduct maintenance to pre-empt any repeats of our situation this summer”, said the president. She also underscored “the need for collaboration in areas like inspections to prevent unfair competition”.

Meeting attendees also tackled the question of the es Ca Marí electricity substation and the activation of a third power cable. Ferrer stressed the importance of analysis in order to gain a clear sense of the shape of Formentera's energy situation. That will be key, in Ferrer's words, to “seeing how we're doing, determining what's still necessary” and making sure islanders are cutting consumption and moving toward clean energy.

The regional minister asserted that on such matters, Formentera's idiosyncrasies “feature prominently on the Govern's radar”. He also pledged his ministry's unflagging support for small- and medium-sized business and held up the Govern's commitment to getting the third electricity-supply cable classified as a public-interest project in order to speed up its installation. He additionally insisted that a sound path towards energy transition locally meant “coordination between Madrid, Palma and Formentera is key”.

Others on hand at the meeting were the director general of energy for the Govern, Ferran Rosa; Formentera's councillor of housing, seniors, trade and entrepreneurship, Ana Juan; the local councillor of mobility and territory, Rafael González and the island councillor for environment and inspections, Antonio J Sanz.

4 September 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Consell de Formentera unlocks €16k in government aid for seniors, people with disabilities

Monday, 02 September 2019 11:00

The Department of Social Welfare of the Consell de Formentera announces that applications are now being accepted for assistance for the elderly and people with disabilities. A total of sixteen-thousand euros is available.

Applicants must be Formentera residents and at least 65 years old or have a minimum 33% degree of disability, among other conditions. Individuals with disabilities receiving care outside Formentera can also apply provided their family unit is officially registered as residing on the island.

An evaluatory committee will be charged with designating the projects to receive assistance. The money is intended to defray costs that might correspond to upgrading a vehicle to make it accessible, paying for eyeglasses, contact lenses, dental prosthetics, hearing aids, hospital beds, rehabilitation (phsyiotherapy, speech therapy), etc.

Applications must be submitted to the Consell de Formentera's Department of Social Welfare, Management and Transparency (conselleria de Benestar Social, Gerència i Transparència) or the Citizen's Information Office by 23 September 2019.

2 September 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

System to count and cap cars on island wraps up first summer season

Monday, 02 September 2019 15:09

The Department of Mobility of the Consell de Formentera announces that the start of the month came with the conclusion of the first-ever effort to regulate vehicles on Formentera roads in July and August.

An average of 20,595 vehicles were on the road in July and August (in the first month the figure was 19,532; in the second, 21,658). Of those, 1,625 belonged to visitors, 8,126 to Formentera residents, 9,276 to car hire companies and 1,568 to other categories of drivers.

Conclusive data and conclusions will be out at the end of the month, but, offering his own early reading of the endeavour's success, mobility councillor Rafa González called it “unprecedented” and held it up as a longtime request of islanders: “Our monitoring confirmed it—this maiden voyage went off without a hitch.”

Fewer vehicles than last year
González also called attention to the achievement of a top priority for the mobility department: 2019 marked the first year that the number of vehicles on the island didn't surpass the previous year's total (some twenty-two thousand). “We are able to say that fewer cars were here this year than last”, said González, “it's a clear break with the pattern in recent years”. The councillor also hailed “the constant collaboration of ferry companies, who kept travellers informed over the last two months”, and also applauded rental car firms “for removing quads from their selection”. He said residents and representatives of the local business community would begin meeting in October to review the rollout and shape plans for the year ahead.

2 September 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Consell de Formentera unites behind proclamation on Europe's migrant crisis

Friday, 30 August 2019 13:41

signatura-codi-e--tic1 At the August plenary assembly held today, members of the Consell de Formentera came together to make a statement about the migrant crisis in Europe. Councillors reaffirmed “the Consell's commitment to human rights and solidarity with society's most vulnerable”.

In the statement, councillors voiced “their full-throated rejection of the statements, attitudes and political convictions of the Italian interior minister, Matteo Salvini” concerning migrants picked up by the ship Open Arms. “The uniqueness, diversity and welcoming spirit of the people of Formentera stand in diametric opposition to the patent lack of sensitivity and empathy in Mr Salvini's words”, it continues. Councilmembers also included in the statement a plea to the Spanish government to “take a leadership role in European Union policies, pushing for migration policy that is driven by the will to safeguard the human rights of those fleeing conflict and persecution”.

Cross-party support was likewise secured for two proposals from the senior cabinet councillors. The first includes a plea to upgrade and reinforce Formentera's land and sea security corps in summer. Infrastructure, industry and interior councillor Josep Marí stressed that the seasonal spike in tourist activity made “reinforcements necessary to ensuring the safety” of Formentera's people, waters and environment.

Assembly members voted in unison to urge the Balearic ministries of environment and agriculture to take steps to improve operations at the waste water treatment plant and to coordinate them with upgrades at the osmosis and filtering plant in order to deliver a better-working irrigation pond.

Unanimity likewise marked the vote on a proposal from Sa Unió to promote 'Smoke-free beaches'—a Govern balear programme of health and environmental safeguards. According to environment councillor Antonio J Sanz, the Consell de Formentera has already taken steps to join the drive and a study will be undertaken to determine which beaches might be part of the measure next year.

An announcement was also made before assembly members regarding the temporary appointment of Daniel Azagra as head of communication.

Support for code of ethics
Minutes before the day's session began, councillors signed their pledge to uphold the Consell de Formentera's Code of Ethics and Good Governance, which received final approval at last month's full-house assembly and has already been published in the regional gazette (BOIB).

The document sets forth values and standards of behaviour for administration officials to follow while on the job. It also establishes a system for checks and revisions to ensure the initiative's success, part of a bid to make local government transparent, effective and efficient.

30 August 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera