Laine's Alcaidesa Newsletter - March 2008

Hello Everybody

Well I am glad February is over and gone, what rain we had, incredible. We had quite a few call outs to deal with leaks and puddles within houses but am now glad to report the sun is back. However, so is the wind and that has made it cold when not actually in the sun.
Anyway, there are a few articles that I have read in the local papers as usual and hope you find them interesting.

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Castellar Approves Valderrama Golf Plans

The Council of Castellar de la Frontera has approved the construction of a golf course on two adjacent fincas that were bought by Valderrama Estates, owners of the internationally prestigious Valderrama Golf Club, acquired in 1998 for this purpose. The Council approved what is known as a Special Plan for Valderrama, which now has to be submitted for approval to various provincial and regional authorities before any construction can begin, although approval has already been obtained from the road authorities as well as the Council for Water and the Environment.
The fincas known as La Cierva and La Guillena, consisting in total of some 216 hectares, were acquired by Valderrama Estates for a project that the developers want to make as prestigious as Valderrama Golf, the Volvo Masters venue. Plans include an 18-hole golf course, a 200-Room Aparthotel and a Clubhouse.
According to Felipe Ortiz-Patiño, President of Valderrama Estates, the new club will be fully equipped to protect the environment, as is already so with the original course at Valderrama Golf.

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San Roque to have its 10th Golf Course in Six Months Time

In its last meeting, the Municipal Urban Planning Department of the San Roque Town Council granted the license to begin construction on what will become the town’s tenth golf course.
Namely, it will be the La Reserva II Golf Course and it will be located in Sotogrande. The course will cost 2.5 million Euros and is expected to be completed in six to eight months. La Reserva II will thus become the tenth golf course located inside San Roque town limits, making the town a unique destination for golfers.
The acting mayor and Urban Planning Councilor, José Antonio Ledesma, stated that "We are the only town with ten golf courses, all of which are of the utmost quality".
Ledesma emphasized the importance “of local companies and their work in the golfing industry in San Roque, and what it means for tourism in our town".
La Reserva II will be backed by the company Sotogrande SA and will benefit from the experience of professionals who are currently working at the original La Reserva golf course.
This announcement promotes the development of the area as a holiday golfing destination and is joined by other new projects such as the creation of a second golf course in Valderrama, which was recently approved in Castellar.

Project managers will offer further information about the area’s tenth golf course in the near future, including the name of its designer (Olazábal) and the technical features of its terrain.

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Santa María Polo Club Striving to reach the Top in World Polo

With the aim of becoming the best polo club in the World, on Wednesday Santa María Polo Club presented its ‘Master Plan’ at the Los Pinos fields with which, via a number of actions, it intends to become the best club in Europe and, why not, the most important in the World.
The estimated completion period for the building work is of eight years, but from July this year the ‘new face’ of Los Pinos will already be visible.
In August fans will benefit from a parking area and pedestrian entrance that will make the fields easier to access. The media will have their own space and there will be a big VIP marquee, with a balcony from which to enjoy the spectacle on the field of play.
Lastly, parents will be able to leave their sons and daughters at the children’s area, which the club plans to manage in cooperation with Warner Bros following negotiations with the company.

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Malaga in the New York Times

Sometimes I cannot believe some of the things people take the time to find out: - Malaga in The New York Times. There is a list of places you should go to in 2008 and Malaga is number 45. This is above London, Vegas and even New York and the report says ‘The coast is not just about High-Rise Hotels and Water-Gulping Courses.’ Well I suppose that is a different way of describing it!

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5th Atlantic Grand Prix Transoceanic Regatta.

If you are interested in boats then you might like to know that the ”La Linea de Mar a Mar” based in Sotogrande finished in Fourth Place in the 5th Atlantic Grand Prix Transoceanic Regatta. She set sail from La Linea and arrived at the island of Martinique in the Caribbean.

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Municipal Gardens in La Linea

The municipal gardens in La Línea will be re-opened to the public in mid-March. An extensive refurbishment programme costing 120,000 euros has been under way since last October. The gardens cover 3,500 square metres of which 1,300 are given over to planted areas. An artificial lake has been created and is now being tested, and an irrigation system is being put in place.

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Gibraltar Slashes Landing Fees ahead of Summer

One of the key reasons given for airlines not using Gibraltar’s airport has been the high cost of the landing fees. This was given as the cause for Monarch switching its Manchester service to Jerez last year and is also said to be behind the reluctance of airlines to establish new routes to and from the Rock.
Last year the Gibraltar government took over control of civil matters at the airport from the Ministry of Defense and promised that this would result in a lowering of landing fees. Now it says that a more cost effective set of charges will come into effect on March 30, the start of the 2008 summer schedule.
Deputy Chief Minister, Joe Holliday, who is responsible for tourism said the cost cutting will help to develop existing services and open up opportunities for new destinations. He added: “This new financial model will have the desired effect in the medium term to develop existing services and open up opportunities for new destinations. Gibraltar airport was simply too expensive compared to similar airports elsewhere, and in this day and age, airport costs are an important factor in the business and financial model of a modern airline”.

Seventy per cent discount

In a statement the Ministry of Enterprise, Development and Technology stated: “The current landing, navigation and parking fees will be discounted by 70 per cent to all commercial airline operators on new and existing routes. The current Passenger Service Charge will remain at £10 per passenger and will be known, in due course, as ‘Air Passenger Duty’, in line with industry practice.”
With the reduction in landing fees an Airbus A320 that currently pays a landing fee of £1,362 will be paying approximately £400.

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Torreguadiaro Promenade

If administrative matters go smoothly, work on the second stage of the Torreguadiaro promenade project could start in 2009. The second part of the promenade will be 400 metres long and it will run from the existing one and provide a connection with the area known as Paseo Chico. As well as the promenade it is planned that there will be sports and gardened areas and 400 car parking spaces. Additionally the watch tower, currently in ruins, will be restored and be used for bird watching.

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Bicycle lane on A-7 road between Algeciras and Torreguadiaro

Cycling enthusiasts in Campo de Gibraltar have reason to celebrate because in a few years time they will be able to enjoy a second bicycle lane that will join the current lane located in the municipal area of Castellar de la Frontera on the A-405 road.
The Development Ministry has awarded the contract for the construction of a bicycle lane on the A-7 road on its way through Campo de Gibraltar between Algeciras and Torreguadiaro.
With an allocated budget of 140,568 euros, the company awarded the contract was Clothos SL, which will be responsible for the consultancy and technical assistance contract for the construction plans for a bicycle lane between kilometres 109 (Algeciras exit) and 137 of the A-7 road (Torreguadiaro). The work to be planned will consist of the construction of a bicycle lane separate from the A-7 road and with a minimal number of interferences with the road. Bicycle touring enthusiasts, of whom there are many in the comarca, tend to use the hard shoulders of the A-7 for their cycling, so the launch of this construction project is great news.

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Most Expensive House in Spain

Lastly would you like to own a new home, the most expensive house in Spain. This is in Granada, a 15th Century villa in the shadow of the Alhambra. It is around 1,500 build with 12 bedrooms and a garden leading directly into the Alhambra’s Generalife Garden. The price tag for this property is 90 million euros.

If you are interested in purchasing this property please do not hesitate to contact me, with the commission due, this will be the last newsletter I will write. Maybe just one more to let you know that I have retired and living the high life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elaine

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