PSOE and Coalición Canaria reject PP plan to revitalise Morro Jable’s Open Commercial Zone

The Partido Popular’s proposal for a comprehensive renewal of Morro Jable’s Open Commercial Zone was rejected at the municipal council meeting held last Thursday. The motion, backed by the PP, AMF and Juntos por Pájara, was voted down by the Partido Socialista and Coalición Canaria, preventing the approval of a plan to improve maintenance, accessibility and the area’s commercial appeal.

The proposal called for a comprehensive revitalisation plan for Nuestra Señora del Carmen and Senador Velázquez streets and the surrounding roads. Its aim was to restore and modernise a commercial area opened in 2008 which, according to the PP, has significant needs for improvement.

Faustino Cabrera, a Partido Popular councillor in Pájara, lamented the motion’s rejection and said: “We are talking about a constructive proposal, with specific measures to improve one of Morro Jable’s main commercial areas. We do not understand why anyone would vote against examining and implementing improvements that would benefit shopkeepers, residents and visitors alike.”

The PP says the area has shortcomings in cleaning, lighting, tree maintenance and the upkeep of street furniture. It also says there is a need for a sustained promotional and revitalisation strategy to attract customers and strengthen business at small and medium-sized establishments.

The proposed measures included an intensive clean-up, a regular maintenance programme, a comprehensive review of the lighting, and improvements to gardens, trees and public spaces.

“Shopkeepers work hard every day to keep their businesses open and offer their products and services. The least we can do as a town council is ensure they have a clean, well-maintained and attractive environment. The commercial area needs attention and a plan that goes beyond one-off measures,” Cabrera said.

Free parking to support commercial activity

A key part of the motion was the creation of free, short-stay parking spaces with a high turnover, allowing stays of between one and two hours, in strategic locations near the Open Commercial Zone.

The measure was intended to make it easier for customers to reach businesses, allowing them to shop, run errands or use local services without the difficulties currently involved in finding a parking space.

“If we want to support local businesses, we also have to make it easier for people to come and shop. It makes no sense to talk about boosting commercial activity without addressing one of the problems that directly affects customers and shopkeepers: the lack of parking,” the PP councillor explained.

The proposal also included a municipal scheme of grants, subsidies or incentives for the renovation and aesthetic improvement of building façades, within the town council’s legal and budgetary limits. It also proposed installing modern, consistent signage to help people find shops, services and parking.

In addition, the PP proposed measures to regulate and monitor the use of electric scooters and other personal mobility vehicles in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, with particular attention to the safety of older people, children and people with reduced mobility.

Improvement plan fails to win backing from the council administration

The Partido Popular believes revitalising the Open Commercial Zone should be seen as an opportunity to strengthen Morro Jable’s economy and improve the image of one of the municipality’s main tourist and commercial centres.

Cabrera said the motion aimed to offer practical solutions to needs affecting the commercial area as a whole. “We were proposing to restore a place with enormous potential that needs a firm commitment from the town council. We are talking about cleaning, lighting, parking, safety and support for businesses. These are basic issues that should take precedence over political differences,” he said.

The PP councillor stressed that the motion’s rejection did not alter the need to address the proposed improvements. “The Partido Popular will continue to call for the needs of those who live, work and do business in Morro Jable to be addressed,” Faustino Cabrera concluded.