Decision Time
The Balearic minister for health, Vicenc Thomas, on a visit to the island last week, confirmed that the decision on whether the new hospital was to have a radiotherapy unit had not yet been taken.
The minister was visiting the health centre currently underway in San Antonio but at a press conference during the tour of the building, Thomas continued to fend off questions about whether a decision had finally been made. He said a total of six architects had presented projects for the building of the hospital. The winner would be decided in October, with work hopefully beginning during the first part of 2009.
When asked whether the new hospital, which is to be built on a piece of land next to Can Misses, would include a radiotherapy unit, he, at first, tried to avoid the question, but then realising the press were not going to give-in, decided to open up slightly more.
He claimed no professionals on the island had formally requested such a unit be included in the plans. This statement came despite the very public views of the head of Oncology, Rafael Morales, who, in July, called for such a unit on the island.
However, later Tomas confirmed that although a decision had not yet been taken, it looked more likely than ever that a specialist centre for treating cancer would not be included, adding that both the scientific and technical facts did not support the building of a unit. He said the decision was a complicated one which his department were still looking into.
He finished by branding the association against cancer on the island irresponsible in offering false data to the public about the exact situation in Ibiza. He said the Balearic Government had the true facts, which again did not warrant the installation of a radiotherapy unit. However, a decision looks likely soon, although it seems it will not be the one island residents are looking for.
Radiotherapy is the medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells. It can be used for curative or adjuvant cancer treatment. It is used as palliative treatment (where cure is not possible and the aim is for local disease control or symptomatic relief) or as therapeutic treatment (where the therapy has survival benefit and it can be curative). Those wishing to undergo treatment on the island will normally be sent to Barcelona, although there is also a unit in Palma.

AROUND THE ISLAND
Investors Flee
The high price of hotels on the island is ensuring foreign investment is kept to a minimum, according to local experts. Maria Munoz, owner of Ibiza-Loft in Santa Eulalia confirmed the Balearics, and in particular, Ibiza, was a prestige destination which evoked much interest from both the mainland and abroad. However, the local hotel owners, aware of this interest, have kept prices sky high, guaranteeing most investors look elsewhere before buying on the island.
She said that there were a number of hotels on the island which had been for sale for several years, adding they would continue that way unless prices were reduced dramatically, with most businessmen preferring to invest their money farther afield where the rewards are far greater, Brazil being the most popular choice in recent times.

Prefab Classes
The education department at the Balearic Government, last week, confirmed there would be a total of fifteen prefabricated portakabins in use during the coming school year. The system has been stretched for a while, and the news comes as no surprise to most observers.
Ibiza Town is the least affected, with just one being installed in Can Cantó to cater for the increase in three-year-olds who registered at the centre this year. Despite the fact that the education department asked the Town Hall, earlier in the year, to find them another piece of land to locate a second portakabin, in the end it has not been necessary, as fewer children registered for the coming school year than had at first been predicted.
Es Vedra in San Agustin will have two buildings installed for the start of term, due to what staff described as the saturation of the classrooms.
However, it will be San Antonio that will see the most number of prefab buildings with the remaining twelve to be set up in Cervantes, ses Variades, Can Bonet and Vara de Rey. Although this number has been inflated by the fact that nine portakabins will be located in the latter, due to the work due to get underway on the main building, which will mean it cannot be used for the duration of the year.
The installations were criticised by the parents association on the island, (FAPA), which demanded the immediate construction of several new schools to cope with the growing demand.

Dole-drums
The bad news continued this week with the latest August unemployment figures showing an increase of 35.2 per cent in the number of people out of work in comparison to the same month last year. The figures were described as alarming by all of the trade unions and Pimeef, the association for small and medium sized businesses. In total there are 5,362 unemployed people currently on the island, a relatively small figure, but one which is sure to rise as winter approaches. The increase in the number from last year is the largest single monthly rise since 1989, with the figure also representing the highest number of unemployed during the month of August for the last 21 years.
The councillor for employment at the Island Council, Joan Serra Mayans, admitted the figures were worrying, but added that the percentage would always seem very high as they were dealing with relatively low numbers.
The main area of concern continued to be the construction sector, which registered a total of 2,130 unemployed during the month. The service sector also registered a record number of unemployed (2,671), 788 of which were part of the hospitality sector, 615 in commerce, with 1,268 made up by the various other sections.
The president of Pimeef, Mariano Riera, claimed the situation had not been helped by a worse-than-normal tourist season, which had only helped to bolster the number of unemployed on the island. Riera claimed that the fall in the number of tourists arriving in Ibiza had had a direct affect on the number of contracts being made, which had fallen by 22.9 per cent during August in comparison to last year.
It seems that Formentera has also failed to escape the crisis with an increase of 15.5 per cent in the numbers of unemployed during August, compared to last year.
Worryingly, the situation is only set to get worse over the next few months as tourist numbers begin to fall dramatically, and hotels begin to close for the winter.

Tourist Improvements
The main tour operators on the island met with the councillor for tourism, Pepa Mari, last week and immediately complained about the quality-price ratio in Ibiza. The under-fire Councillor emerged from the meeting determined to fix key aspects which the tour operators all agreed were lacking on the island.
All of the major markets were represented and the key feeling was that Ibiza continued to be an expensive product for what was on offer. Unfortunately, this situation appears to have got worse even though the sector is in the midst of a crisis. Mari said what appears to have happened is that due to the fact that most businesses realise they only have four months worth of work, they load their prices accordingly during the busier months. The Councillor predicted this would eventually lead to the island pricing itself out of the market, and suggested businesses thought seriously about their price structure, adding that if they continued to want to charge such high prices, they would need to improve the quality of the product.
She claimed the main market to be affected was the middle sector, with both the luxury and low-cost markets booming at present. However, increased competition from destinations including the Caribbean and Turkey now meant businesses had to be a lot more price sensitive.
The islanders were also criticised for their treatment of tourists. She said the tour operators had complained that the general public did not seem to be aware that visitors chose to spend a very important part of their year on the island, and needed to be treated accordingly. The Island Council and Town Halls also took a bit of criticism with the representatives complaining more needed to be done to make the tourists stay slightly easier.
The remarks came as the Balearic Government released its own figures for July which showed a 6.2 per cent increase in the number of tourists to the island. The Spanish market was the main benefactor, up an incredible 37.1 per cent, with the northern European market also up (Norway, Sweden and Finland). However, the British market was amongst many to fall with a decrease from the same month last year of 4 per cent, a fall which was eclipsed by both the German (11.4 per cent) and Italian (9.5 per cent) sectors.
The data was questioned by the Hotel Federation and their president, Juanjo Riera, who called it surprising and contrary to statistics collected from his members, who all showed a decrease during July in comparison to last year.

More Connections
Jet2.com is set to fly to the island from a variety of new destinations it was announced last week. From 22nd May 2009 the airport will have flights from Belfast, Leeds, Blackpool and Manchester with prices starting at 47.99 per flight including taxes.
The director general of the company, Philip Meeson, said the addition of the new routes was an important move for the company and would bolster their presence in the Balearics, as it would add to the five routes already run with Menorca and Mallorca. He added that the company already had a very special relationship with the Balearics, and that they understood the bond the British had with the islands, as well as the thirst of the locals to visit more authentic areas of the UK.

Overcrowding
A recent study by the prison service confirmed Ibiza was the third most over-crowded institution in the country. On 29th August the facility had a total of 160 prisoners in situ whilst the capacity is just 50. This translates to an over-saturation rate of 320%, beaten only by Ceuta (388%) and Martutene (340%).
The prison service also criticised the facilities inside the capitals prison, claiming it had not yet carried out the work ordered by the Government which demanded individual cells for all inmates, this despite the fact that the authorities received a grant in order to carry out the work.
In the Balearics as a whole there are a total of 2,026 prisoners, over double that recorded at the beginning of the decade.
In Spain on 1st July there were exactly 71,616 people being kept at his Majestys pleasure, 35 per cent of which whom were foreigners.

IBIZA TOWN
Bus Opening
The new bus station in Ibiza Town will be in operation by next month according to Mayoress Lurdes Costa, and is set to reform the public transport system within the capital. Her remarks came as she was taken around the new installations, accompanied by members of the press. The tour was given by the representative of the company in charge of the building work, Jose Ramon Llasco. Also in attendance was the councillor for transport, Albert Prats.
Costa claimed the main change would be the disappearance of the old bus station from avendia Isidor Macabich, which would ensure a significant strain on the city centre being lifted.
The new bus station will be a total of 18,000 m2. The bus area will be installed in a semi-basement which will be well lit and air-conditioned to ensure the fumes from the buses are eliminated. Access to the station will be from three entrances on the ground floor on the calles Canaries and Sant Cristobal. The ground floor building will contain shops and cafes, as well as two ticket booths and digital screen information informing the public about the arrival and departure times of the buses. At each end of the station there will be lifts down to the bus area, as well as escalators.
It is estimated the facility will be able to handle up to three million visitors every year.
Speaking the following day, the transport minister claimed the Balearic Government needed to get far more involved in the public transport system on the island. Prats said the Island Council had been given just 450,000 this year to improve public transport, an insufficient amount and one which needed to be improved substantially over the next few years.

Tree-lined Coast
The mayor, Lurdes Costa, announced on Monday the fourth part of her Plan of Excellence for the municipal. The newest project will include a 400-metre line of trees and gardens from the hotel, Torre del Mar, to the municipal limits. It will be set back around 20 metres from the coast and include shaded areas along its route.
The work will add around 200,000 to the project which is set to cost over 3 million in total, and will be carried out this winter.
18,000 will also be spent on improvements to the three urban-based beaches within the municipal, and will include the construction of shower and toilet facilities, with a further 53,000 being used to improve disabled access on the beaches.

SAN ANTONIO
Marketing Plan
The municipal of San Antonio was, not surprisingly, the first to act to the news of the possible arrival of 15,000 pensioners from across Europe to the island. The Town Hall revealed on Tuesday it had already had a meeting with all of the leading businesses in the area, including the hotel, restaurant and bar, retail and nautical sectors within the municipality, in order to put itself forward as the outstanding candidate on the island.
After the meeting, the Town Hall revealed that a marketing plan had already begun which would outline why the municipality should receive the pensioners, which are due to arrive from this November, according to plans unveiled by the Island Council the previous week in a joint press conference with the Balearic employment minister, Margarita Najera.
The Town Hall claimed the infrastructure was already in place within the town, and a number of hotels already stayed open throughout the year. This, added to the new promenades and the re-vamped town centre, clearly made the municipality the first choice.
The idea will be similar to that of the Imserso scheme already in place, which offers thousands of Spanish pensioners the opportunity to visit the islands at vastly discounted rates between November and March. The hotels offer substantially reduced prices and the airfare is also heavily subsidised.
The programme will start in several central European countries including Germany, Belgium and Holland, and bring a total of around 100,000 people to the Balearics in the first year, 15,000 of which will be sent to Ibiza. The total would hopefully increase to 500,000 once the project was implemented across the Continent.
The key to the plan, in the first year at least, is to concentrate all of the tourists in the same area which would hopefully encourage more places to open. Although several zones were mentioned, including Playa den Bossa and Talamanca, San Antonio and the bay remain the most likely choices, especially due to the experience they already have with the Imserso groups over the last five years.
However, it appears that the Town Hall does not want to take any chances and has already begun to act in order to seal the deal.
Several days after the San Antonio meeting, the tourist department of San Jose met with business representatives from Cala de Bou and the bay area. Afterwards the councillor for tourism, Maria Angeles Mostazo, said that she hoped the two municipalities (San Antonio and San Jose) would be able to join forces to try and capture the proposed 15,000 tourists from Europe which the Balearic Government are hoping to bring from January 2009. She said she was happy with the level of interest shown by local businesses, and would be speaking to her counterparts in San Antonio over the next few weeks to talk about the possibilities of a joint bid.

Demolition Plans
It was revealed last week that the illegal Cretu mansion, built on the side of a mountain in Santa Innes, still does not have the demolition project despite having just two more months to carry out the work. In a court ruling passed last year, 18th November was given as the date by which the mansion would have to be torn down. Having falsely issued all of the building permits it is now the responsibility of the Town Hall to carry out the work. If the work is not carried out in time the Town Hall will be liable for monthly fines.
Sala claimed there were still several matters pending before the work could actually be carried out, including the eviction of the current occupants.
Asked whether he saw any possibility in avoiding the demolition he showed his irritation at being asked the same question yet again. He continued that he understood what needed to be done, and this would be carried out. If anything emerged in the meantime, that was a different story.
Whilst on the subject he made it clear he thought the building should be used as part of a public project instead of being demolished, action he described as absurd.

Case Begins
This week will see the trial in Palma of the seven people involved in the shootings which took place around San Antonio on the night of 31st July 2006. The incident began just after midnight and involved two cars, one a BMW with a British registration, and the other a Seat Leon. It started in calle Lope de Vega when the passenger of the BMW, a British man, jumped out of the car and began to fire indiscriminately at the other vehicle.
A car chase then pursued with the gun battle continuing once again on avenida Doctor Fleming close to Eden and es Paradis nightclubs. This time the passenger of the Seat Leon got out of the car and began to fire at the BMW. This led to the passenger of the BMW being injured, as well as two passers-by.
All face prison sentences of between four years and 35 years for attempted murder, carrying a firearm, and the sale of drugs.

SAN JOSE
Numbers Slump
The natural park at ses Salinas received a total of 1.5 million visitors last year, more than seven times all of the rest of the Balearic natural parks put together. The environmental department at the Balearic Government last week revealed a total of 1,503,000 people visited ses Salinas, with the next popular being Cabrera natural park which received a miserly 76,541, up very slightly on the previous year.
However, whilst the picture at ses Salinas looked bright, the situation in the rest of the Balearics took a worrying turn as the number of visitors to the islands natural parks slumped by 63 per cent from 2006, despite an increase of 6 per cent on the mainland during the same period.
The question remains how reliable the statistic really is for ses Salinas, as most visitors to the beach were probably unaware they were even in a natural park.
The Island Council followed up the release of the statistics by revealing it would be restricting access to the park from next year. The plans of the new administration include improving the roads in the area with the installation of a bicycle lane, green verges on both sides and the burying of the existing overhead electricity cables. The transport minister, Albert Prats, then went further, saying he would try and re-organise the entrance of vehicles to the park with the use of a car park. Alternative transport will then be offered into the natural park, although no further information was given on the possibilities.

Prats Ultimatum
The Councillor for Town Planning, Josep Antoni Prats, issued a warning last week to the owners of the apartments in the sa Caixota area that it was now time to clean up the area, and that if no action was taken by the end of the year, the Town Hall would be forced to act.
The calls come after heavy rain caused a landslide in the area in September 2005, which led to the partial destruction of the Vista Alegre building in sa Caixota. Fortunately, the complex was empty at the time as the finishing touches were being made to the building. Since then the legal wrangling has ensured no action has been taken in the area, as the proprietors fight to have the block rebuilt, something which the Town Hall says will not happen due to the dangers of a similar landslide.
The legal representative of the vast majority of the owners of the apartments affected, Josep Lluis Rios, said a project for the demolition was currently being planned but that nothing would be done until the Town Hall could convince the other owners affected in the area to act. He also reminded Prats that his administration also owned 10 per cent of the land in the area, and would therefore have to help out financially.

SANTA EULALIA
Cooling System
The outbreak of the Legionnaires disease which affected a total of eight people in Santa Eulalia two weeks ago, has been located. After a series of studies undertaken by the authorities throughout the town centre at both private and public sites, the Public Health Authority confirmed a faulty refrigeration system inside a commercial building in the centre had twice tested positive for the disease.
There were eight people affected in total, including one tourist from Madrid and a foreigner. Five were released fairly quickly, whilst the remaining three spent two weeks in Can Misses before being discharged towards the end of last week.
The outbreak dates back to 22nd August and caused the closure of the public water system to fountains and drinking points across the municipal. The investigation team then set out to try and locate the origin of the outbreak, which led to a total of 36 samples being taken from across the municipality. Although they were still waiting for the results of several, the two positive results of the refrigeration system have left the experts in little doubt that this was the source of the outbreak.
However, nothing will be confirmed for at least ten days.

FORMENTERA
Video Trials
The president of the Island Council, Jaume Ferrer, introduced a new video conferencing service which he claims is the stepping stone before the island installs its own judicial building. Until now all witnesses involved in cases had to travel to Ibiza in order to appear in court. However, this is set to change with the new system, and although the criminals will continue to be transported to the court in Ibiza in person, witnesses and those key to the trial, will now be able to give their evidence from the island.
The facility, which was introduced by the head of the Justice system in the Balearics, Antonio Terrasa, as well as Ferrer, will be set up over four stages and it is hoped will be in full operation by Christmas.

CRIME & INCIDENTS
Overdose Death
A 23-year-old British youth died on Monday after taking a lethal cocktail of drugs and alcohol. He had arrived just days earlier with a number of friends. On Sunday evening at around 9 p.m. his friends ran down to the reception of a centrally located hotel in San Antonio to ask for an ambulance to be called as the victim was feeling unwell. The hotel immediately called the 112 emergency number and an ambulance was soon on the scene. According to medical sources the victim suffered a number of cardiac arrests, but each time medical staff were able to revive him.
His situation at 8 a.m. was described as extremely serious by the hospital and after yet another cardiac arrest, he died two hours later, becoming the 7th fatality due to drugs, so far, this year.

Drugs Raids
An exhaustive police investigation carried out over the last few months led to the arrests of 15 people last weekend. During Saturday and Sunday officers carried out a series of raids in six homes, all in San Antonio and ses Paises, eventually discovering a total of around 300 grams of cocaine and 800 grams of hashish and around 12,000 in cash, a disappointing haul considering the length of the investigation.
On Monday ten of the arrested were released without charge, whilst the remaining five, three of Colombian descent, one Seville resident and a Brazilian, were all being detained until further investigations could be carried out. Amongst those being questioned is a man arrested in the Brujas operation last year, which led to considerable amounts of cocaine being discovered.
Officers revealed the drugs were being sold in bars and clubs around the town centre, and among the arrested was the owner of a bar along the sea-front area, Passeig de la Mar.

Boy Awakes
The Irish boy who has spent the last two weeks in a coma in Palma after falling into a swimming pool at his hotel in Cala Llenya, has finally woken up. Medical staff said the boy was breathing for himself and they were waiting to carry out medical tests to see whether the 4-year-old had suffered any long term damage. The parents were preparing to fly the child home this week.
The good news came on the back of a press release by medical staff at the private Vilas clinic in Ibiza Town, which revealed the sad news that the 36-year-old woman involved in the car accident close to the beach at sa Caleta two weeks ago had died. The medical prognosis was poor from the moment she entered intensive care, and doctors reported that her condition had worsened on Wednesday. She finally died on Thursday afternoon after suffering a massive brain haemorrhage. She becomes the 13th victim on the islands roads this year.

Shoe Shop Robbery
A British man was awaiting trial last week after being arrested accused of taking 4,000 from a shoe shop in San Antonio. The incident occurred at the beginning of the week, and although no other details have yet been given, police did confirm all of the money had been recovered.

Police Search
The Guardia Civil on the island finally called off the search for a multi-millionaire British businessman accused of attempted murder in Mallorca, after the accused turned himself in to police in Palma. The incident occurred on Monday when, according to the mans wife, after a heated argument he allegedly tried to set fire to her at their Costa den Blanes mansion.
She told officers that the two had been arguing in their bedroom early on Monday when her husband apparently threw her on to the bed and doused her in petrol.
Fortunately, the woman was able to call for help via her mobile phone, at which point the man made his escape.
The Guardia Civil immediately started to search the island, whilst officers here were warned to be on the lookout after rumours circulated he may have come to the island aboard his Sunseeker boat.
However, the suspect turned himself in on Friday and immediately professed his innocence, giving police his side of the story about what actually happened on Monday

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