07/09/2015 00:00
TW
0

Dear Sir,
Myself as president of the community of Edenroc situated on the north side of Santa Ponsa Bay and many other residents have been complaining to Calvia as the local authority responsible over the past ten years about the deterioration of Santa Ponsa. I sent an open letter on 12 July 2015 to the mayor and to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. The letter was published and I was very surprised the next day to receive an email from Jason Moore the editor of the Bulletin saying that Calvia Council wished to meet with me. I duly attended a meeting with council officials who were very sympathetic, and the officials stated that the local councillor would be happy to meet me and have a coffee and that the councillor would be representing the mayor. An appointment was to be made for a meeting a few days later and nothing has happened.

Two months have now passed and I have heard nothing from the council officials.
I was interested to read in the Daily Bulletin on 22 July 2015 and 26th July 2015 that the mayor, Alfonso Rodriguez, had been interviewed by Jason Moore of the Daily Bulletin and he would like to get:
1. Calvia working again.
2. The summer season lengthened to nine months.
3. Foreign and local residents integrated. 

I can remember the days when Calvia was open for tourists all-year round. I understand Calvia has 60,000 beds available in the summer months and that figure falls to a mere 60 in the winter months. There are properties in Calvia valued at ten milllion euros and there are boats valued at five million Euros. Winter is the peak season for golfers and cyclists yet the resort is closed to the British.

The ratio of German to British flights in the winter months is seventeen to one and there are no flights at all from Scotland.
I was looking at a tour company brochure from the year 2000 when Calvia was open all year round and in these days you could get flights from Gatwick, Luton, Heathrow, Exeter, Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle and Glasgow. Now there are only a handful of flights from the south of England.

I must put to yourself as the mayor of one of the largest tourist areas in
Europe the following questions:-
1. Why does Calvia close for the winter when the majority of other Spanish resorts are open?
2. Does the hoteliers' association take advantage of tax laws that make it more profitable to close for the winter and make their employees redundant over  the winter?

If possible I would like to meet with you and your local councillor for a coffee in one of the many restaurants on the north side of Santa Ponsa Bay next week. Will you be available?

Ian Rice,
Santa Ponsa