Parties Facing Ban
Sofia Hernandez, Madrid´s representative on the island, announced on Monday her administration was studying new measures to crackdown on illegal house parties. She fears that an end to after-hour clubs and bars will see an increase in these private parties. However, instead of introducing new regulations which could take several months, Hernandez will look for loopholes in the current legislation which could help put a stop to these parties this summer.
Illegal gatherings in private houses have been taking place on the island for many years. However they have grown rapidly recently and have now become well organised events, with text messaging ensuring a wider audience. All involve loud music, alcohol and drugs, but the modern-day party will now include car park attendants and an entry fee.
Hernandez admitted the problem for the police was extremely delicate as they were dealing with a party within a private property. However, she continued that measures would be taken to ensure that they were able to enter homes. Both the party-organiser and the owner of the house would also be fined, leading Hernandez to warn all house owners to beware to whom they were renting their property, as they would also be held responsible.
The news came on the back of a statement from the minister, Miquel Ramon, who confirmed that the Town Halls would begin next week to vote on the new legislation which is set to put an end to after-hour clubs and bars. The final meeting will take place this week between the Consell Insular and the Town Halls, as all sides try and introduce the law before the summer. However, it looks like the administration of San Antonio may not reach an agreement in time, as they continue to discuss the effect the new regulation may have on bars and pubs which open at midday to show sporting events.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Strike Ends
The taxi strike, which began officially on 2nd March, ended on Friday after 26 days with an agreement by the five associations on the island to return to work. The president of the national taxi association, Jose Artemio Ardura, presided over the meeting in San Antonio during the afternoon, and confirmed afterwards that the action had been halted and they would be returning to work with immediate effect. The meeting followed a march on Thursday, which was sparsely attended and showed a clear lack of support for the strike action by members of the public.
Ardura also announced that none of the licence owners would be bidding for the temporary permits due to be handed out this month.
The decision caused the Transport Minister, Albert Prats, to admit it would be difficult for the plan to go ahead without the support of the PP-run Town Halls and the willingness of the current licence holders to bid for a permit. He said he would not be nullifying the legislation, but it would more than likely be shelved for at least this season.
A total of 86 drivers have applied for a licence, and the option of granting all of these a permit has not been ruled out by Prats. However, he explained that many were now pulling out of the bidding process after receiving pressure from the owners of the cars. He said he would study another method of trying to resolve the shortage of vehicles during the peak season, but that it would not be easy.
So it looks like, for the time being, the licence owners have won an unlikely battle, and the losers will be the residents and tourists who will once again have to wait in line at the airport, or any of the other ranks across the island, for the standard two and a half hours during summer.

Clear, Clean Water
The waters off the coast of Ibiza and Formentera once again received the seal of approval from the Environmental Department at the Govern Balear. Figures released last week showed 87.8 per cent of the coastal waters received a classification of excellent, while 7.32 per cent were described as acceptable and just 4.8 per cent as unacceptable. Whilst the rise in the number of areas classified as unacceptable doubled, the figures were seen as extremely positive, and the Govern promised to continue in their fight to improve the quality of the water around the islands.
Within the Balearics as a whole, 86.10 per cent of the coastal waters were described as excellent, with just 4.28 per cent unacceptable.

Medical Bills
Ib-Salut, the Balearic Health Authority, spent a total of 7.9 million in the treatment of foreigners within the Balearics. Through the E-111 form EU citizens receive free healthcare whilst in the Balearics. This is in addition to a number of visitors who also receive free medical care, due to special agreements between Spain and certain countries. This bill marks an increase of 56.6 per cent in comparison to the previous year, although the number of patients treated grew by just 0.96 per cent.
The British were the most numerous, with 7,905 patients given medical care in 2007, at a total cost of 2,549,482. This was followed by the Germans, with 6,647 attended, although their bill was slightly more, rising to just over 2.7 million. The French came in 3rd with a medical bill of 666,304, after 2,368 nationals were treated.
Ib-Salut receive the money from various sources including the Governments at both national and local level.

Credit Limit
A total of just four people in the Consell and the five Town Halls on the island have access to a credit card linked to public accounts, according to a study carried out by the newspaper, Ultima Hora. The investigation was carried out on the back of the case of the minister at the Consell of Majorca, Javier Rodriguez, who it was revealed spent an average of 3,000 per month of public funds in gay clubs on sex, drugs and alcohol. The case came to light due to the change in government at the Consell last year. The married father of five claimed his error was due to health problems. It had also been reported in the Spanish press that the former councillor is a cocaine addict. Ironically, he was considered by most to be on the hard right of the Partido Popular, and had bluntly refused to carry out gay weddings.
In Ibiza the only mayor who currently has a credit card is Josep Mari Ribas Agustinet in San Jose. The others prefer to use their own money and then recover the costs of the expenses incurred whilst on official duty by presenting receipts at a later date. The other three holders of a card are all in the Consell Insular and include the President, Xico Tarres, the minister for Tourism, Josefa Mari, and the minister for Business Development, Joan Serra. However, all of the administrations confirmed that periodic audits took place to ensure no public figures were misusing taxpayers money.

New Route
The Consell Insular has finally decided to authorise the circulation of lorries carrying dangerous goods on the new dual carriageways. The vehicles in question have, until this point, been banned from using these routes. This new decision will particularly affect the company, Transportes y Servicios, which has the responsibility of transporting fuel to the airport. These journeys can rise to four a day during the summer. Previously the lorries had to use alternative routes which involved much smaller and more dangerous roads.
The vehicles will not be allowed to pass through any of the tunnels, according to the Royal Decree 635/2006, which falls into line with EU regulations. The drivers will therefore have to use alternative routes via Ca na Palleva, just before reaching the tunnel. However the new solution pleased all of the owners and drivers who claimed the lorries journeys would now be much safer.
The new regulations affect the transportation of any materials deemed dangerous, including gas bottles, petrol and propane.

Plan on Hold
The new Land Use plan in San Juan has been put on hold for three months whilst further investigations are carried out by the Environmental Commission at the Govern Balear. The plan was unveiled several weeks ago, and included the re-classification of several areas to urbana, where building will be permitted. However the commission, after considering the new plan, has decided to carry out more studies. They claim that, as it stands, there would not be enough water in the area for the needs of the increased population.
GEN, the environmental protection group, along with several neighbours have already strongly criticised the plan, which will allow, amongst other things, a number of urbanisations in na Xamena, which until now has remained a protected area.

Don Pedro Meeting
Various administrations across the island including the Consell Insular, the Govern Balear and the Town Hall of Ibiza, will sit down today (2nd April) to discuss the future of the Don Pedro, which sank last year after hitting rocks as it left the port of Ibiza. They will be joined in the discussion by several other organisations who were involved in the operation including the owners Iscomar, the environmental protection group GEN and representatives from the many Scuba Diving companies on the island. The discussion will be helped by a study carried out by the National Institute of Ocean Studies on the pros and cons of refloating the ship.
The minister for transport, Albert Prats, confirmed he would be asking for the boat to be refloated, although he added the final decision would be taken by the Department for Environmental Issues at the Govern Balear. A spokesman for the Govern was quick to point out that no verdict would be taken at this initial meeting, which would merely be a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of either option.

Prison Numbers
The prison population within the Balearics has grown a phenomenal 20.3 per cent during the last four years, putting the Islands 4th in the country in terms of growth. At the end of 2007 there were a total of 1,637 people behind bars within the Balearics. The growth, although spectacular, is actually not too far behind Spain as a whole, where the number of prisoners grew by 19.5 per cent. In total there are currently 67,100 people incarcerated throughout the country.
The prison in Ibiza also has one of the worst problems of overcrowding, with 50 cells for 121 prisoners, making it the third most over-populated prison in the country.

Info on the Move
The office of Information for Immigrants which is currently located inside the Consell Insular building in Ibiza Town is to move to new premises within the next three months. The minister for Social Care, Patricia Abascal, revealed her administration were currently looking to rent a premises, and hoped they would be able to open the new facility by June. The new department will have at its disposal a lawyer, as well as a specialist in employment issues, a social worker and one admin staff.

Wild US Tours
The Miami based company, Tours Gone Wild, has become the first American operator to offer a tourist package to the island. A spokesman revealed the operator has begun to sell Ibiza after four successful years selling destinations which have included Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Cartagena (Colombia). The VIP packages will concentrate on the nightlife of the island, and offer tourists a flight, luxury hotel, chauffeur driven vehicle and, most importantly, VIP passes to all the cool hangouts on the island. The price of the package will be around $3,500.
On their website the island is described as follows Ibiza is not only known for its non-stop party scene, but also for its amazing weather (80 - 90 degrees in the summer, sunny days, little rainfall), incredible beaches (golden sand, crystal clear water, hot eye candy), great restaurants (top international cuisine), and friendly/beautiful people (tourists from all over the world!). A great sell in any language!

Design to Stay
A joint announcement was made on Wednesday by the president of the Consell Insular, Xico Tarres, and the opposition leader, Pere Palau, which will ensure the flag of Ibiza remains the same. Plans to change the design of the flag and to substitute the four castles with just one were shelved after the Consell received a considerable amount of complaints.
However Tarres confirmed that the logo of the Consell would be modified to ensure a modern design which was appealing to the 21st Century citizen.

MOT Inspections
The ITV inspection centre, where vehicles need to be taken to get their MOT, carried out a total of 54,669 examinations in 2007, a sharp rise from the previous year. In Formentera, where the ITV centre is open on Wednesday and Thursday only, there were a total of 4,825 inspections. The centre in Ibiza has 17 staff members, made up of 2 technical engineers, 9 mechanics and 6 administration staff. The centre received a total of 666,455 in 2007, 466,455 of which went on the wage-bill, 100,000 on running costs and 100,000 of which was saved for future investment.

Weather Causes Delays
The usual bad weather at Easter ensured severe delays for travellers making their way home by boat on Monday. On Monday 80 kmph winds meant delays of up to 24 hours for some travellers as all the routes between Ibiza and the mainland suffered delays. Over 2,000 travellers were affected, with the longest delay that of the Ibiza-Valencia crossing which eventually left the following day, forcing all the passengers to stay a further night on the island.
The ferry companies received a huge number of complaints, the majority involving the costs incurred by the delayed travellers, which the companies have so far not offered to reimburse.

IBIZA TOWN

New Centre Opens
The new medical centre in Ibiza Town swung into full operation last week in what can only be described as organised chaos. In its first full day the ten doctors at the centre attended around 350 patients, 210 of whom were adults and 140 children. The majority arrived for planned consultancies, although a considerable number came late due to the fact they had first gone to their normal medical centre and had not been aware of the changes. A spokesman for Ib-Salut said he could not understand how so many of the letters, which were sent out two weeks ago advising patients of the change, could have gone missing. However, although the first morning was somewhat chaotic, the patients were on the whole very pleased with the new installations and hoped the changes would start to improve the service.
The aim of the Health Authority is to arrive at a ratio of 1,500 medical cards to every GP. The new centre has enabled the ratio to be reduced down to 2,000, with further improvements planned to further lower the number.
Patients who have been registered at the new medical centre and wish to change back will be unable to switch for three months, and will therefore be without a doctor for this period.

Building Work Starts
Work on the es Pla de Vila building, which remains the centrepiece of the Eivissa Centre project, began once again on Tuesday, after nearly two years on hold. The project, designed by the Town Hall, hopes to transform the centre of the town. Work was stopped on the building in July 2006 after it was revealed the promoters were missing part of the licence. Itusa, the company in charge of the project, made up of the constructers Brues SA, and the Town Hall were then forced to go back to the drawing board, change the project and re-apply for all of the appropriate licences. This has now been done, and the work started again on the building next to the Juan XXII elementary school.
The building will consist of a total of 121 apartments, 92 of which will be occupied by residents of the Santa Margarita building, which is being demolished as part of the project. The remainder will be sold at knock-down prices as social housing for those struggling to buy a property in the current climate. The work will take a further twelve months and should be finished by March 2009.
The building is the first part of the innovative project, which must be completed before other stages can take place. The idea was the brainchild of the former mayor of the capital and now president of the Consell, Xico Tarres. However, whilst the PP party remained in charge of the Consell, the project was constantly delayed and ran into several problems. However, due to the change of government the scheme has been given the green light once again and looks set to be complete during this Governments term.

SAN ANTONIO

Boat Fire
Four boats were destroyed in the port of San Antonio on Wednesday evening after a fire. The alarm was raised at just after 11p.m. as neighbours spotted the flames on the boats moored on the temporary wharf at the far end of the port. The blaze spread quickly to several other vessels alongside, due to the strong winds. The few people on board one of the boats nearby managed to leave without any problem, and the fire department reported there were no injuries.
However, at least four boats were completely destroyed and two others damaged as the fire quickly took hold. The operation to quell the flames was not made easier by the fact that the wharf was also made of wood and could not be used to get close to the boats. One vessel eventually broke free and floated, in flames, towards the beach at sa Punta des Moli, where the fire was extinguished. Investigators said the cause of the incident was a short circuit in one of the vessels, although they were still not sure in which boat it started as by the time the first witnesses arrived two of the boats were already in flames. Two vessels eventually sank, and a decision will be made this week whether to refloat them.
A spokesman for the port claimed the damage caused would have to be assessed by a loss adjuster, but could exceed 200,000.
Environmental experts said there were no remains of fuel in the sea and the water had remained uncontaminated.

SAN JOSE

Prats Offer
The Councillor for Town Planning at San Jose, Josep Antoni Prats, has offered the owners of the sa Caixota building, which fell into the sea close to Cala Tarida in 2005, other land within the municipality to rebuild their properties. Part of the building, Vista Alegre, collapsed into the water in September 2005 after heavy rains caused a partial landslide, which destroyed several floors. Fortunately the building was still some weeks away from being completed, which meant there was no one in them at the time. Surprisingly, the owners of the apartments have insisted the property be rebuilt in the same location, after a surveyors report revealed the building of a wall would prevent any similar recurrence. However, the Town Hall, via their new Land Use Plan, has insisted that building will not be permitted in the area, claiming it is just too risky.
Prats said he hoped a solution could be found, while adding that he understood the new plot was not going to be as attractive as the previous area, but said it was their only option.
Meanwhile, the new Land Use Plan will mean less construction in Cala Tarida as a whole, although 250 chalets will be able to be built on the four plots of land which have been left urbano by the new administration.
The news came on the day it was revealed that San Jose topped the list of municipalities to receive the most denuncias concerning illegal building projects. Of the total of 97 recorded in 2007, (three times more than the previous year), 40 involved properties within San Jose
Later in the week Prats confirmed that the urbanisation which was stopped in Cala Tarida back in February will remain closed, after the appeal court found in favour of the Town Hall. The project plans to build 186 houses in the area.

Price Rise
The price for using public terrace space with tables and chairs just became more expensive in San Jose. New regulations passed last week have set the price for the occupation of public space at 60 per m2, ten times the previous cost. The Town Hall has justified the rise claiming it had previously remained the same for the last 20 years. The new law will affect all those restaurants and bars with terraces on public property which are occupied with tables and chairs.

SANTA EULALIA

New Plans
The mayor of Santa Eulalia, Vicent Mari, described the municipalitys Land Use Plan as a model which needed to be followed by the rest of the island. The plan will ensure that all new residential complexes will need to be built within the urban nucleus, and the areas outside the centre will be reserved as green areas and for public buildings including sports facilities.
Tourist areas will also be kept separated from any residential zones to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Mari underlined the fact that the two did not mix, and had very different time tables.
The plans of Santa Eulalia have been the least disputed, and the initial project will be approved in May.
The only complications could arise when dealing with Roca Llisa, which the Govern Balear has already insisted will be de-classified with many areas become no-build zones.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

Motorcyclists Injured
Three serious accidents during the week have left two people fighting for their lives in the Policlinica Nuestra Senora del Rosario.
The first took place just outside the police station in the centre of Ibiza Town, and left three people needing hospital treatment. The accident occurred just after 1a.m. on Tuesday morning. Police believe one of the victims, driving a Suzuki GSX 600F motorbike at high speed, ignored a give-way sign and collided with a Nisan Micra driven by an 18 year old youth. The motorcyclist was thrown off his bike and hit his head against the pavement at least twice, the second time without his crash helmet which had flown off after the first impact. Investigators said it had not been strapped on properly.
The impact on the car was so great that the vehicle was sent hurtling firstly into the cemented garden boxes on the corner of the street, and then into the entrance of the police station. The driver and his passenger were both wearing seatbelts, which ensured that their injuries were minimized. However, the motorcyclist suffered severe head injuries and was rushed unconscious to the A&E unit at the private Viklas hospital, close to the scene of the accident, where he remained in a coma.
Investigators revealed there were no signs that any of the two vehicles had tried to brake which indicated that neither had time to react.
The accident was followed the next day by a similar incident which left another motorcyclist seriously injured. The accident occurred on the Santa Eulalia-Ibiza road. It appears that a Renault Clio tried to join the main road from the exit close to the go-karting track. Investigators believe the driver did not see the motorcyclist and collided with the bike as he turned into the road. The victim was thrown into the air and, although he was wearing a helmet, suffered severe injuries. Emergency services took him to the Vilas Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery during the night.
This incident was followed the same day by an accident on the San Carlos road at 8p.m. as a vehicle collided with a tree. The reason for the accident is still unknown However both passengers, who are 18 and 19 years old, were seriously injured. The driver remains in a coma in hospital.

Trial Draws to a Close
The trial into the death of the Frenchman, Christian Almerich, who was brutally murdered in September at his home in Cala Tarida is coming to an end, with only two hypothesis and one suspect. The first hypothesis is that the victim was killed by his lover, also French, after he became enraged with jealousy when he thought the relationship was coming to an end. He was arrested the following day getting off a boat in Barcelona. He claims he was trying to get to France as he did not have any money, and had family there who would help him out. He has insisted he is innocent of the murder since the beginning.
However the judge is also considering the possibility the victim had been killed by a third party after he was unable to pay for a kilo of cocaine he had bought. This theory was backed up by the fact investigators found 200 grams of the drug in a safe at the property. The trial is set to end soon and a decision is expected within the next few weeks.

FINANCIAL NEWS

Tax Crackdown
The Govern Balear and the Tax Office have announced revolutionary new collaborative measures to try and combat the increasing amount of fraud taking place within the Balearics when buying and selling properties. The main problem, according to a spokesman for the Govern, continues to be the declaration of an inferior selling price to the actual price. This has always been a common practice and involves the buyer paying some of the propertys total in black money. This declaration suits both parties as the seller will be liable for less taxes and the buyer will pay less stamp duty and be able to get rid of some of the black money he has accumulated.
He continued by revealing they were concentrating on the larger deals which had become common place over the last few years. These transactions resulted in the Tax Department losing thousands of euros on every deal.
The news comes on the back of a report by the consultants, Richard Ellis CBE, which claimed that, despite several reports to the contrary, the property market was alive and kicking within the Balearics. The report suggested that each registered estate agent sold a 600,000 property every single week. They continued by claiming that wealthy businessmen from the Marbella area were continually investing heavily in the islands. These, he continued, were the deals which they wanted to control.
The announcement comes just weeks after the Govern demanded that all of the Notaries in the Balearics forward all of the information and valuations every time they sign a mortgage.

Halifax Bank Lands in Ibiza
Banking on the island just became slightly easier for us Brits after the opening of a branch of the Halifax bank in Ibiza Town. The company has been in Spain for many years, but this is their first foray onto the island. The branch has been open since December, although Thursday saw the official opening.
The facts are undeniable in Britain every one in four people have an account at the Halifax, and it is also the most popular mortgage lender in the country handling one in six mortgages. The bank merged with the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2001 and is a powerhouse within the financial section, although its emphasis has always been on the individual customer and not big business, just one of the reasons it has remained so popular.
The same is true in Spain. The branch in Ibiza, which can be found on the corner of C.Canarias, 34 and the new Bulevard Abel Matutes, close to the new bus station due to be complete in summer 2009, will not be handling business accounts. The up-side being they can concentrate on the individual customer.
The main advantage is sure to be the elimination of any language barrier. All of the staff at the branch are fluent English speakers and all legal Spanish documents are available in English, so that those non-Spanish speakers are once again able to take control of their finances.
The branch will have all the usual services, with maintenance of your account costing just 25 per year which also entitles you to become a member of the exclusive Halifax Club which offers so much more for the British ex-pat in Spain. Services include great extras like telephone banking available in English, a taxi call service (you call the hotline, they arrange you a taxi), medical services, car rentals, veterinary clinics and much, much more. Their savings accounts are also unbeatable value with savers getting as much as 5% per annum.
For those wishing to take out or even change their mortgage lender, the advantages are great, even more so for non-residents in Spain, with Halifax paying all your costs when you change mortgage lenders including your cancellation costs, an unheard of benefit until now.
Those with an account in the UK will also be able to transfer money between their accounts free of charge and at an exceptional rate of exchange, guaranteed to beat any local banks.
The advantages are numerous and are sure to make your financial dealings that much smoother. For more information pop along to your local Halifax branch and talk to any of the friendly staff members, including manager Bettina Lorenz, who together with Alexis Gonzalez and Carlos Gavela, are sure to take the hassle out of banking in Spain.

HABITAT FAIR
British interior designer Azra Zakir will be exhibiting at Habitat 2008 at the Ibiza Exhibition Centre (Recinte Firal) between the 4th - 6th April (see advert on the back page for full details). This will be the first time that Habitat, held every two years, will be welcoming a British presence to the exhibition. Azra recently moved to Ibiza following a decade working in London. She said: "We'll be using Habitat 2008 to showcase our interiors projects and launch in Ibiza. Our stand will be a space where people can come and relax, look at our website (www.azrazakir.com), browse through interiors books and magazines, listen to some wonderful music and be inspired!" She continued: "As we had very little time to prepare, the kindness of others will help to make our space special. We're using furniture from Aura and some stylish pieces from Lottie Bogotti in San Carlos. We look forward to welcoming lots of visitors to our stand "Azra Zakir - Exploring Space can be found at stand 72 at Habitat 2008. The exhibition will be open to the public between 1800 - 2200 on Friday 4th April and between 1100 - 2200 on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th April. Entry is free to the public on all days with parking on-site.

VOGUE FASHION
Gisele Bündchen!
There was a fight in the Ibiza Sun office last Thursday morning as just two press passes sat on the editors desk for the photo-call that night in the fabulous rural hotel, Atzaró, in San Juan. The reason for the bickering Gisele Bündchen! The spectacular Brazilian supermodel, reportedly the highest paid in the world, was headlining the presentation of the new line in Vogue sunglasses. Others on view included two ex-Miss Spains, with the British represented by Atomic Kitten, who proved to be the life and soul of the party, singing a few numbers at the after-dinner show.
Gisele was born in the southern Brazilian town of Tres de Maio in Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul in July 1980. Since her introduction on the fashion scene in the 90's she has appeared on countless billboards and magazine covers, as well as numerous television ads. She is currently the face of more than 20 brands around the world, with the Forbes rich-list reckoning Gisele made in the region of $30 million in 2006. She also appears in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "world's richest supermodel", with a net worth of $150 million.
She famously dated Leornado DiCaprio for several years at the beginning of 2000, and is currently seeing the quarter-back of the New England Patriots, Tom Brady, regarded as the greatest player of his era.
After arriving fashionably late, the stunning Gisele rocked up in a strappy white dress with her hair flowing over perfectly tanned shoulders and, of course, a pair of cool Vogue sunglasses. She claimed she was wearing this particular colour because Every time I think of Ibiza, I think of white. The media scrum began with over 120 photographers and cameramen from across the globe fighting it out for the best pictures. She muttered a few words in a mix of Portuguese, Spanish and English this was her 7th time on the island, she was here with her boyfriend Tom, she was not too worried about the controversy caused by the April edition of Vogue, where she appeared on the front cover with the basketball star LeBron James (some morons saw it as racist and demeaning to women!) and allegedly/apparently/purportedly her favourite read when on the island was the Ibiza Sun. She was then off and we were left with a long line of A-list celebs including the British pop group Atomic Kitten, who entertained at the dinner later that evening.
The night was a huge success, if only for the fact that I won the fight and managed to attend. And there is just one word for Gisele stunning! I am sure sales of Vogue sunglasses have already rocketed.
And the moral of the day if you want to sell sunglasses, hire Gisele Bündchen!

Sebas Santamaria

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By modern day standards Ibiza is an extremely safe place to holiday. This is a weeks worth of news and so its effect is magnified. Please do not fret while you are here - you are quite safe!!

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