Palma.With the Council of Majorca during the previous Balearic government having successfully secured the backing of UNESCO to have the Tramuntana mountains listed as a World Heritage Site, a major grant is now being sought from Central Government to support three conservation projects.
The Council of Majorca, under its Partido Popular President Maria Salom, is asking the Ministry of Culture for subsidies to the tune of 408'472 euros to restore a selection of historic sundials, to reform the ancient water storage cisterns at Alaró castle and to improve signposting throughout the roads and byways of the Tramuntana.
Salom confirmed yesterday that the Ministry has until 9th December to decide whether or not it is able to award the grant. If the application is successful, nine people registered as unemployed through the Balearic job agency will be contracted to carry out the work. Salom said that she has asked for a full grant for the conservation projects because although the Tramuntana now come under UNESCO's wing as a World Heritage Site, there is no official budget set aside to carry out this type of upgrade. The Ministry has a budget of two million euros for Fine Arts and Heritage meaning the Tramuntana could in theory take up a quarter of it.