LICENSE SCANDAL
There was confusion and outrage at the various municipal Town Halls last week as the Consell began to clamp down on their new building legislation. The new laws passed by the Govern Balear on 23rd November aimed to restrict building in certain areas of the island. Five zones were specifically targeted including Punta Pedrera, ses Feixes and a substantial part of Benirras in San Juan. The mayors of both Santa Eulalia and San Juan have asked for more specific detail about the new regulation, as the Town Hall was forced to stop work on a building in the Benirras area just 24 hours after it had been started.
The scandal broke on Monday of last week, when it was revealed that the Town Hall of San Juan had rushed through permission for the building of two family houses in the, now protected, Benirras area. It was discovered the Town Hall had called two special meetings in the lead up to the legislation coming into affect. The paperwork granting permission to both of the projects was afforded in just 24 hours, something which was described as out of the ordinary by Consell officials. It normally takes several months for permission to be granted, as technicians from the Town Hall usually have to visit the proposed site, especially in sensitive areas such as Benirras. During November the Town Hall issued a total of six licenses, all of which will now be suspended due to the new legislation.
While discussions continued between the PSOE-run Consell and the PP-run Town Hall, a digger appeared in the Benirras area and started to work clearing a substantial part of forested land. However after just 24 hours Consell officials were sent to the site and work was stopped. They then warned the Town Hall, run by the mayor Antonio Mari Mari, that it was his obligation to stop any work being carried out within the protected areas.
It later became clear the site was not one of those which had been given a license during November, but had in fact received permission back in May. However the incident raised several queries which forced the Consell to issue a statement towards the end of the week which advised all of the Town Halls that work which had already been started in the areas affected by the new legislation could be continued, but that all existing permits which had not yet been started would have to be temporarily suspended.
The environmentalist group GEN (Group for the Study of Nature) claimed there was strong evidence of wrong-doing in relation to the licenses granted within San Juan. They continued, saying the issuing of the licenses had not been done in the usual and correct manner and that the Town Hall had a serious case to answer. They said it was clear the licenses had been rushed through to avoid the pending legislation brought out several days later.
Their claims were backed up by the public prosecution service who announced on Thursday that an investigation would be launched into the matter. They said they would be looking at documents from both the Consell and the Town Hall, and further enquiries would be made.
Meanwhile Mari Mari said he had had both a moral and legal obligation to issue the licenses as they had all fulfilled the very strict legislation of the area. In reference to the two licenses issued within 24 hours, he said he had always been taught his job as mayor was to serve the public in the most efficient way possible. This was the only reason the licenses were granted so quickly.
The president of the Association for Architects, Antoni Mari, admitted to receiving an avalanche of projects submitted for planning permission since the recent changes to the Land Reforms. All new building projects need to pass through the college of Architects for approval before they can be subsequently presented to the Town Hall, where permission is then either granted or denied.
The new legislation aims to restrict building in certain areas of the island. Five zones will be completely protected including areas in Ibiza Town, San Joan and San Antonio. However, according to Mari, it seems to have had the opposite affect to that desired and plans sent to the college for approval have tripled over the last five weeks. There has also been a steep rise in urgent permissions being granted. The college normally takes between one to two weeks to approve plans. However, at an extra cost, there is the opportunity of having your plan approved the same day.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Full House
Can Misses has again hit saturation point during December with occupation levels between 90-95 per cent. Despite the fact medical staff have yet to see many cases of flu, the only hospital on the island is finding it hard to cope with a sudden influx of patients. The news came on the back of the revelation that 14,400 residents had so far received the flu jab. The hospital campaign was widespread this year, as it is difficult to see how the institution could cope with a flu epidemic.
Despite the influx of tourists during the summer which swells the population to considerably higher levels, it is during the winter months when Can Misses reaches saturation point due to the many illnesses brought about by the cold temperatures. These latest figures show why the new hospital is so vital and needs to be started immediately.

Recycling Abyss
None of the five municipalities on the island has the correct number of recycling containers, according to the minister for the environment, Albert Prats. The amount is calculated using the number of residents within the municipal, added to the amount of rubbish which that area creates. Santa Eulalia is the municipality with the biggest problem. It only has 18 containers, when it should have a total of 165. This is a staggering 147 containers less than the proposed optimum amount. San Jose is next with 57 less than recommended, followed by Ibiza Town (50), San Juan (45). San Antonio is the only municipality that comes anywhere near close to having the correct number, but still falls short by 20 containers.
The statistics were made available at the start of yet another campaign by the Consell Insular to encourage people to start recycling. As well as the obvious benefits to the environment, Prats also hinted more recycling would lower the waste tax (basura) paid by residents, as recycled waste costs far less to be treated.

Click Promise
ClickAir, the company which now runs the Ibiza-Barcelona air route, has promised to apply the resident discount to onward journeys from Barcelona. Until now trips which have involved a stopover in Barcelona before a further journey on to another mainland destination have been exempt from the discount. Passengers continuing with the same company have even had to check in again, including collecting their luggage.
The company promised to include the discount on both journeys, as long as they were made with the same company. They have also assured disgruntled customers that when the new south terminal is ready at Barcelona airport, passengers will not need to check in again, for onward journeys.
The Consell described the news as very positive, and promised to continue fighting for a dignified and economically viable connection to the mainland for the residents of Ibiza.

Expensive Gases
Work on the gas duct which is to bring natural gas to the Balearics Islands for the very first time, began in earnest last week. The initial work will involve preparing the land-based sites for the arrival of the tubes. It is hoped this first phase can be completed by May 2008.
The work of laying the tube from the mainland to Ibiza and Formentera, and then on to Majorca, will begin in October 2008. It is hoped the project can be completed by summer 2009. Initially the gas will only be used by GESA-Endesa for the production of electricity, but it is hoped it can be introduced direct to homes by 2010.
The gas duct will be the longest of its kind in Spain, and will measure a total of 268 kilometres, including the pipes laid over land. The project will cost around 500million, the majority of which is being paid by the Spanish Central Government.
Antonio LLarden, the president of Enagas, the company who won the contract to carry out the work, said they had already contracted the specialised boat - of which there are very few worldwide - to carry out the work of laying the tube beneath the sea. He revealed the tubes would be at a depth of 1,000 metres between Denia and Ibiza, and 700 metres between Ibiza and Majorca. He claimed the project, although expensive, would administer gas to the islands residents for at least the next 300 years.

Financing Plans
The minister for roads at the Consell Insular, Albert Prats, revealed last week he was studying different ways of auto-financing the work on the ring road around Ibiza Town. The current byroad, which starts at the roundabout next to the Casino and circumnavigates the capital, is to be remodelled with pavements, parking and bus stops added. The work is to cost a total of 20million. Although the amount was described as expensive by the minister, he added it was work which needed to be done and was essential for the future growth of the capital.
He has therefore suggested ways of helping to pay for the reconstruction which include the building of a car park, and the introduction of blue parking zones. Advertising could also be sold at the bus stops on the newly modelled road. He claimed the Consell needed to look at the benefits that could be made from such a project, and not only concentrate on the high costs of carrying out the work.

Rental Help
The Balearics is the autonomous region, along with Madrid and the Pais Vasco, where youngsters have to dedicate the largest proportion of their salary to pay their rental or mortgage payment, according to a recent study. Mortgages eat into an incredible 83 per cent of the total salary of most youngsters, an increase over the last two years of 27 per cent. The regions with the lowest percentage were Extremadura and Navarra, where just 42 per cent of wages were used to pay the monthly mortgage payments.
These statistics are being seen as a reason why most youngsters are choosing to live at home until they are much older, although most would want to abandon the family-nest if they were able to afford it. The news is not new, and similar information was discovered during a nationwide study last year. This led to Zapateros central Government introducing new groundbreaking legislation which may go some way to helping those wanting to leave the family home earlier than had previously been possible. The government has introduced a subsidy available to anyone between the ages of 22-30, and earning less than 22,000 a year. They will be entitled to a rebate of 210 every month on their rent for a total of four years, as long as their situation does not change during this time. It is estimated that a total of 12,000 youngsters on the island could potentially benefit from the initiative. More information can be obtained at the Consell Insular in Ibiza Town.

Time Rise
Hospital waiting lists have grown in the Balearics over the last year (until 30th September) by eight per cent. There are currently 10,529 patients awaiting an operation, 782 more than this time last year. However, despite this increase waiting times are similar to last year, and remain under two months 58.9 days.
Within Ibiza and Formentera there are currently 1,010 patients waiting for an operation, 184 more than last year. In the new hospital in Formentera, operations only started this year, meaning no comparisons could be made with previous years although 21 people are currently awaiting an operation of some kind.
During last year as a whole 7,914 patients had to wait between one day and three months before being operated on, 2,592 had to wait between three and six months, whilst 23 patients had to wait more than six months. Out of this last total, sixteen were on the waiting list at Can Misses.

El Gordo
Balearic residents spend the least on the national Christmas lottery according to recent figures, with the average person spending just 45.54. This is less than half the amount spent in the Rioja region, number one on the list, where residents spend a whopping 99.28 every year.
The Christmas Lottery is based on tickets which have 5-digit numbers, just like the regular Spanish national lottery. Due to the enormous popularity of the game, each set of numbers on each of the tickets is sold multiple times, in several so-called "series". Moreover, since an entire ticket is quite expensive (20), the tickets are usually sold as tenths (called décimos).
The Spanish Christmas Lottery is a national lottery game which has been organized every year since 1812. As measured by the total prize payout, the Christmas Lottery is considered the biggest in the world. In 2006, if all of the tickets were sold, the total amount paid out in prizes would be worth more than 2.142 billion (70% of ticket sales). The total amount of all prizes of the first category called El Gordo ("the fat one") was 540,000,000 which was distributed among 180 winning tickets that won 3,000,000 each.
According to reports in the press, about 98% of all Spanish people hold at least a small participation of a lottery ticket in the Christmas Lottery each year, even if they do not gamble during the rest of the year (this includes tickets purchased or received as a gift or exchanged with family and acquaintances). Recently, tickets may be available each year as early as August. Lotería Nacional thus expects to pick on the superstition of holidaymakers who may feel they are in a "lucky place".
There is a 15 per cent chance of winning something. If you have a ticket with the same number as the last digit of the winning number, you will at least get your money back. This is normally seen as the most important number and this year the most popular number within the Balearics is nine. The draw takes place on 22nd December, so you still have time to go out and buy a number, although it is considered luckier if you are given it as a present!

Hospital Protest
A massive protest took place in Can Misses on Monday of last week after new rules concerning the working hours of hospital staff was universally rejected. The new plan aims to build up hours throughout the year which the worker owes to the hospital. The powers that be would then be able to call on the services of the staff to work these hours when most needed. The problem arises due to the fact the hospital would be able to call the workers in without any due notice. This, claimed spokesperson Carmen Ortiz, meant it would be extremely difficult for hospital staff to plan their free time, let alone holidays. The hospital would be within their rights, according to the new rules, to recall staff who may be on the mainland. Similar demonstrations have been promised if those responsible for the new legislation do not back down.

Euro Help
The Association of European Residents in Ibiza has received 4,500 enquiries so far this year - 2,685 have been by telephone, 1,640 in person and 60 by post. The most common question relates to the steps necessary to gain a residents permit (850), followed by registration at the Town Hall (padron municipal), questions regarding vehicles and driving licenses (605); and finally matters to do with the social security system (350). The association is able to provide European residents with a range of information from doctors to education, consumer advice to lawyers.

IBIZA TOWN

New Services
The mayor of Ibiza Town, Lurdes Costa, promised last week to reduce waiting times for buses to a maximum of 20 minutes. Her announcement came as she unveiled the new conditions of the bus service. Reducing waiting times, as well as expanding the existing lines are key parts to her plan to increase the use of public transport within the capital.
Although the exact routes have not yet been finalised, there will be three basic services in operation. The first will run from the centre travelling through 13.7 kilometres of the municipality. It will run from 7a.m.-10p.m. Two buses will service the route during the winter, whilst another vehicle will be added during the summer (1st June-30th September). The maximum wait at any bus stop will not exceed 20 minutes.
The same will be the case with the second route planned, which will again leave from the centre of town and travel through 11.8 kilometres of the capital. The timetable will be the same, and it is hoped just two vehicles will be needed throughout the year to ensure waiting time does not exceed the maximum stipulated.
The final line will have a slightly longer maximum waiting time (40 minutes) but will include the old town of Dalt Vila as part of its route.
All of the buses being used for the services will be specially adapted for wheelchairs and those people with restricted mobility.
The new lines will be available for all to see in the Town Hall, and any company or private person who wishes to make a tender for the services may do so. It is hoped the new services will be up and running within six months of the tender being granted.

Building Repairs
The Town Hall in Ibiza revealed tough new laws last week which it hopes will ensure buildings in disrepair are fixed by their owners. The new legislation will give the administration the right to repair the building themselves and then seek the costs from the proprietor of the building.
The plans were revealed on Monday by Councillor for Housing, Marc Costa, and it is hoped they will ensure the now numerous buildings which currently stand in disrepair, especially in the Old Town, will be fixed and cease to be such an eyesore.
The legislation began last week on a trial basis with eight owners contacted by the Town Hall to carry out the much needed work. The proprietors have had an architectural report sent to them which specifies the reforms to be made and a rough estimate of the cost. They will be given a certain amount of time to carry out the work. However if they remain noncompliant the Town Hall will have the work carried out and then recoup the money, along with fines of up to 3,000.

Ibiza Budget
Lurdes Costa, the mayor of Ibiza Town, revealed the budget for next year would only be slightly higher than this year (1.19 per cent). However, despite this moderate difference she continued by announcing there would be 30 percent less spent on investments due to a rise in costs.
The wage bill has risen substantially (6.9 per cent) but this was put down to the employment of four new police officers to ensure more personnel on the street.
In total 45million will be invested in various different projects across the municipality. The majority (25million) will be spent on finishing the building work in the CETIS complex, which is to include the new bus station.
The new sports and health centre at Can Misses will also be built using a further 10million. However, the most remarkable news came with the promise of 1.8 million to build a new rugby stadium. This backed up statements made by the Councillor for Sports, Rafa Ruiz, a few days ago who claimed this fast growing sport would be supported by the municipality. The other major investment, which we reported last week, will be the 4.5million spent on reforming the old bull-ring into a state-of-the-art car park.

Taxi Strike
The taxi drivers association in Ibiza Town has decided to take strike action after a vote by their members. The meeting was attended by 67 of the 121 licensed taxi drivers, 66 of which voted in favour of the strike action which is to begin in the municipality over the Christmas period.
Among their complaints is the insistence of the Consell Insular in issuing 150 more temporary taxi licenses. The association claims the licenses should be issued by the Town Halls who know their individual municipal needs far greater than the Consell. The president of the association, Jose Serafin, claimed there were areas which did not need many more licenses, for instance San Juan and Santa Eulalia. The drivers given licenses in those areas would therefore come to the capital looking for work.
The Consell has also insisted no licenses will be given to any vehicles more than six years old, an attitude described by Serafin as preposterous seeing as there are buses driving around the island that are over 20 years old.

SAN ANTONIO

Hiper Trial
The trial began on Tuesday of the six people accused of robbing the Hiper Centro on the San Antonio-Ibiza road back in July 2004. In total four people took part in the robbery which ended with thieves escaping with just under 100,000. Of the six defendants in court, only one person has admitted responsibility. He claims he took part in exchange for a payment of 9,500, which he used to fuel his cocaine addiction. However he claims his only role in the entire robbery was to guard the front door and help his two companions if they needed it. A fourth man was waiting in the car park with the getaway vehicle. He claims the robbery was the mastermind of a man not included within the six, but who was part of the extensive police investigation. He arranged the vehicle and sent two people over from Madrid to participate in the robbery.
In the immediate aftermath police investigating the events suspected the thieves could have been assisted by someone on the inside. Due to a lack of fingerprints and images from the security camera, and after lengthy interviews with the shop manager, police decided to tap the mobile phone of one of the cashiers at the time of the robbery who had in the meantime quit her job. Her conversations with friends led to the arrest of five men and herself. All of the other defendants deny any participation in the robbery, and all but the woman claim they were not even on the island.
Each defendant is facing four years in prison. The trial continues.

SANTA EULALIA

Dinner Time
A 67 year old German man was taken to hospital last week after swallowing several bags of cocaine. The man, known to police, had been seen in the port area of Santa Eulalia, exchanging something with another individual. As police moved closer to see what was happening, both men tried to flee. The German man was chased into a bar but, after locals hampered officers, he had the opportunity to ingest several bags of the drug. He was taken to hospital where several hours later the bags reappeared.

FORMENTERA

Suspended Sentence
The girl arrested during the summer after striking a police officer in San Ferran, Formentera, has been given a one year suspended jail sentence. The incident occurred while the receptionist was enjoying a night out with her boyfriend, a 20 year old Italian man. He had been walking several yards ahead with friends when he was stopped by police and asked to identify himself. According to the two officers involved, the defendant walked around the corner and was confronted by the scene. Apparently she became very nervous, and struck the officer round the side of the face. She immediately apologised for her behaviour.
The officer was off work for four days with hearing difficulties due to the incident.
The judge, in his summing up, said although he acknowledged the impulsiveness of the slap, the officer had just been doing his job and this work should have been respected by the defendant. She only escaped a prison sentence due to her clean record until now.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

Knife Threats
A 27 year old German man was arrested at the health centre in Santa Eulalia on Tuesday, after threatening both staff and police with a safety cutter. The man had arrived at the centre in a very agitated state with a cut on his hand. He insulted and threatened staff who proceeded to call the police. On their arrival he continued to use threatening behaviour towards the officers and it was at that moment he took out the blade and attempted to cut one of the men. He was eventually overpowered and arrested.

Hospital Term
After an agreement was reached between the public prosecutor and the defence team, the man who stabbed his mother and then threw her off a third floor apartment building in ses Figuretas will spend three years at a centre for the mentally ill on the mainland. The incident occurred back in February. According to a statement from the defendant he was sitting on the sofa watching the popular detective series, CSI. He then began to hear voices telling him he should stab his mother. He claims he cannot remember anything after that, and his next recollection was of finding his mother on the ground below the balcony.
According to his mother the defendant had come into the kitchen, taken hold of a knife, stabbed her several times and then thrown her from the balcony. There had been no arguing beforehand, and she said her son had seemed distant. Although the woman eventually made a full recovery, she was in hospital for 30 days.
With her refusal to press charges, the public prosecution service took on the case which has ended with the man, who suffers from schizophrenia, being treated in a centre for mental illness. The defendants lawyer said it was shameful the island did not have the appropriate facilities for such illnesses, and patients often had to be sent to Majorca or the mainland.

FINANCIAL NEWS

Interest Problems
The amount of homeowners failing to meet their mortgage repayments within the Balearics is on the rise yet again, the number reaching their highest levels since 2004, with 0.65% of people failing to pay three successive re-payments, nearly double the number of 2005. As interest rates continue their upward trend, so levels of non payers continues to rise. The average interest paid by a family within Spain is now 5.6 per cent, the highest level since 2001.
There was also bad news on the job front, with experts at the European Union predicting the construction industry would fall in Spain by 1.2 per cent next year, and 10 per cent the following year. However, their views were not shared by Antoni Mari, the president of the Association for Architects on the island, who claimed construction in the Balearics would fall by between 25-30 per cent next year. He added that after years of boom the fall was predictable, and nothing they had not been expecting for the last few years.

LEISURE & SPORT

Birthday Bliss
Three birthdays within three days for the Ibiza Rugby club meant they travelled to Menorca in great spirits. They travelled also with a very strong squad who have trained and prepared hard for this game. A defeat for the same fixture one year ago gave them additional incentive going into this match.
The first of three birthday boys Valentin Fernandez Venteo collected an award on Friday nigth for his accomplishments as Sportsman of the year for 2006/7 season. Sadly, his good fortune and assetts as a "hard yards" man lasted only 2 minuites when he went down with a painful leg injury. This was a big loss to Ibiza as there back five were looking balanced and very menacing.
Once again the conditions were windy blowing down the pitch away from Menorcas club house but the playing surface was exceptional...it had grass on it and some give. El Capitano "Tonga" chose wisely to play with the conditions down the pitch. With thier early loss of Valentin Ibiza adjusted quickly, "Uru" Alexis Carbia Ponce stepping up to the plate and having a magnificent game in the back row. He gave everything and showed great responsiblity encouraging the pack alongside his captain and "Nacho" Sparano also celebrating a birthday.
   For the second week running the pack dominated their opposition. The re-vamped front row with Diego Fernandez Venteo and new boy Ryan Harvey proping up the sides quickly took a grip in the scrums. Sebastian Sola Sacca standing in at hooker was a revelation not only did he scrummage well taking 10 against the head, with his front row partners, but he carried well around the fringes. This was made all the more remarkable by the fact he was nursing a bout of D&V and it was doubtful he would play 2 mins before kick off. Neverthless the whole front row unit took control and turned the screw. The forwards grew in confidence and started to control all aspects of the contact area with efective rucking and a rolling maul. This created good quick ball going forward.
   The half back pairing was firing well with scrum half Alejandro Berisso sniping round the fringes, making good yards and offloading effectively out of contact. At the same time he served his number 10 well with clean ball moving forward. Unfortunately, the windy conditions did not favour back play and several moves went to ground. This allowed the forwards to take more control and work the pick and drive breaking down the defence, Captain Tonga driving over from short range for a classic forwards try.
One more forwards try, unconverted saw Ibiza turn round 10 points to nil in the lead at half time.
   The second half enabled Menorca to kick for territory using the wind which they did effectively. Another loss to a broken finger to centre Carl Selway unsettled the backs but Andrea Ionescu quickly adjusted from full back to number 13. Menorcas back line looked threatening whenever they took the ball in open play with pace and very good hands in difficult conditions. Some precision touch finds by Menorcas No 10 put pressure on the Ibiza line and paid off with a well worked try. The Ibiza forwards took this as a sign to turn the screw even more and each time Menorca kicked the ball down field the pack relentlessly drove it all the way back up the middle using a combination of rucking, mauling and pick and drive. It was an awesome sight and it literally starved Menorca's backs of ball. Continued forward pressure saw Tonga and Dan Darvey cross the line with a drive from all the forwards, either man or both could claim the try.
   Finally, Sebastian Santa Maria came on to the field with 10 minuites remaining and helped create a beautiful try which went through the hands of the backs with Pablo (birthday boy) Mammoni Batalla taking quick ball and opening up space with an equally quick release to Sebastian Santa Maria, he glided into the space and drew his man to put El Presidente Mauricio Paez over for a try.
When Pablo Mammoni finds confidence and belief in himself he will release this back line with devastating effect. There were glimpses of the backs true potential with development and continued hard work behind this pack they will be unstaoppable. Final score Menorca 5 - 23 Ibiza. There was much to celebrate....and they did.

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