On Tuesday, the Balearic government and Palma town hall presented two projects for improvements to Playa de Palma. Total investment of eleven million euros will go on renewing all the street lighting and on the water network.
Upgrading the lighting on both the first and second lines will cost five million euros, jointly funded by the government and the town hall. It will involve the installation of some 400 streetlights and the replacement of concrete pillars, many of which are damaged. One intention is to ensure that there are no "dark" areas on the front line.
As to the water network, this will require a new system for collecting rainwater and for purifying it. Most of the six million euros for this project will be coming from EU Next Generation funds.
While both projects will be welcome, they will go only part of the way in addressing complaints from business and residents associations regarding an apparent neglect of Playa de Palma. Dossiers showing numerous examples of lack of maintenance have been presented to the town hall, while mess and security are constant sources of complaint.
Businesses have argued that they have invested heavily in Playa de Palma but have not seen sufficient evidence of the public sector reciprocating.