YOUR VIEWS

BEHIND THE PINE WALK
PUERTO Pollensa is justifiably well known for its lovely seafront and the pedestrianised walkway called the Pine Walk. This area is the jewel in the crown for the resort, though walking along the path one needs to take care because it is fairly uneven, but that is what gives it character. The Ajuntamiento take great care of this area and keep it clean, having sweepers and rubbish collectors working in the area daily.

But look behind this façade and what do you find?

Pavements in a state of disrepair

Dogs faeces everywhere

Graffiti all around the town

Rubbish bins overflowing and rubbish dumped in the street and on green areas.
Let me give you an example. The area known as Boquer, where many tourists come to do the walk through the Boquer valley. This area was once part of the farmland in Boquer that has been sold off for development. Some fairly nice (and expensive) apartments have been built there. But pavements are not completed and where they are they are in a poor state of repair. The green area is being used as a dumping ground with left over building materials, all sorts of domestic rubbish and now by the Ajuntamiento who have put 2 skips on the land where the street sweepers deposit their debris. The area of these skips has become an eyesore as there is rubbish accumulated all around them, a breeding ground for rats.

And what are the Ajuntamientos doing to tidy this area up? Nothing but adding to the problem. When I look at other areas I see things that Pollensa should be doing to tidy the area. Alcudia have a rubbish collection system that puts the rubbish below ground. This is a much tidier system and stops litter being blown about or being rifled through by animals. The Ajuntamiento needs to give the whole resort a general overhaul and clean up before the next holiday season. They must realise that holidaymakers look behind the seafront to form an impression of the resort. Now that Majorca is not the cheap resort it used to be holidaymakers will compare it with some of the newly emerging resorts. If the impression of Puerto Pollensa and Majorca as a whole is not first rate then why would they return? The resorts rely on tourism and residents deserve a clean and healthy environment in which to live.

Margaret Scott