Palma town hall has been at pains to point out that there will be alternative parking to compensate for the elimination of parking spaces on the Paseo Marítimo.
One alternative is a car park on C. Federico García Lorca, which will be open 24/7, but the Son Armadans residents association is warning that this car park "is going to be a magnet for street drinking and illegal parties".
The president of the association is Catalina Llompart. She says that they had been attempting to talk to the councillor for the district for several weeks in order to find out what the town hall was planning to do with the parking lot and to explain the consequences of keeping it open all the time. "We didn't receive a response from the town hall, even though they knew that this is a 'sensitive area'. If the noise and partying returns, it will be their fault." She adds that the residents association only found out on Monday night that plans for alternative parking include keeping this particular lot open 24 hours a day.
Surrounded by residential buildings, Llompart explains that this space has been a headache for residents since the late 1990s. At one point, the situation was such that residents came together and paid for a private security guard. With the approval of the town hall, this guard was in charge of closing the gates at night and opening them in the morning. It was only when Aina Calvo (PSOE) became mayor in 2007 that the "nonsense" of having to pay out of their own pockets came to an end.
The residents now fear that problems will return, Llompart saying that "we have seen everything - parties, alcohol, sex, drug dealing, a camp for the homeless". "We thought all that was over, but now they want to leave it open all night. In addition, they have removed a flower bed and covered it with concrete. For what? 130 parking spaces are of no use in an area where the pressure of vehicles is enormous and parking is a problem that is only going to get worse."