Palmanova, Mallorca

Palmanova is several kilometres away from the town hall in Calvia. | S. Amengual

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterCalvia24/10/2021 08:46
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The residents association in Palmanova has come to the conclusion that there needs to be a decentralisation of municipal administration and is arguing the case to become a "minor local entity".

The president of the association, Joan Ferrer, says that Calvia town hall is "overwhelmed, does not provide a quality service and receives many complaints from the public". The town hall's headquarters are in the village of Calvia, which has three per cent of the total population of the municipality. It is unable, Ferrer argues, to supervise the needs of Palmanova because the administration is based on outdated population figures. "At the end of the '70s the total population was 2,700. In the 1980s it increased to 20,000 and there are now almost 60,000 registered people."

The biggest complaint relates to a perceived failure of service provision for Palmanova along with Son Caliu and Torrenova and the revenue that the town hall generates from the area. "We contribute 30 per cent of the total municipal revenue collection of 100 million euros. In no way do we receive service and investment worth 30 million euros per year."

He compares the Palmanova situation to other municipalities in Mallorca. "With the same population, Binissalem has more services and infrastructure than Palmanova. The administration is in the same place and its residents do not have to travel six or seven kilometres to go to a cultural centre, a basketball court, a secondary school or a residence for senior citizens."

He wants a minor local entity to be established so that there is a "political space where people living in the area can debate and decide the future of Palmanova". "It makes no sense for a person from Santa Ponsa to decide the future of Palmanova. We don't want to leave Calvia. We are not ‘independentists’. We just want a place where we meet every two or three months, where decisions are made that are recorded in the minutes and must be complied with."

In supporting the residents association's claim, Ferrer points to the example of Palmanyola, a minor local entity within Bunyola.

Palmanyola is the only example of a minor local entity in Mallorca or indeed the Balearics. In Porto Cristo, there has been a good deal of talk about establishing one within Manacor.