Palma's municipal services agency Emaya is facing what has become a regular problem with removing graffiti. Where it has been sprayed on walls with heritage value, the agency is obliged to have to wait for clearance from the Council of Majorca's heritage commission and the town hall's own commission for the historic city centre.
There are various examples of graffiti that need removing but for which Emaya has yet to receive any instruction. These examples cover an area of wall from S'Hort del Rei to Es Baluard. The agency has to wait because there has to be approval of the specifications of cleaning work. The graffiti is unlikely to be removed, therefore, until the summer.
The infrastructure department, rather than Emaya, takes care of the upkeep and maintenance of walls. Where the graffiti is concerned, councillor Rodrigo Romero says that the department has no competence for this. In other respects, such as with vegetation, this can cause a deterioration of the walls as it collects water and leads to dampness.
The department has a preservation plan that it expects to start this summer. This follows a technical report which has highlighted the risk of collapse because of the deterioration of stonework.
