In Can Pastilla there is an increasing number of shanties, three settlements at least. One of these settlements is on the outskirts of Can Pastilla. A track used by residents has been blocked by the improvised shelters.
The situation has been reported to Palma's Emaya municipal services agency, the town hall and the Guardia Civil's Seprona division. "Let's see if they do something once and for all," says one resident. There hasn't been any response to their complaint as yet.
More in the centre of Can Pastilla and near a school is a shanty town surrounded by large amounts of rubbish. There are glass bottles everywhere, creating anxieties about the risk of fire when the hot weather comes. The shacks are within sight of a hotel, although they are mostly shielded by vegetation.
Further from the school is another settlement. As with others, the people are a mix, predominantly Romanian and African as well as Spanish. Mariano, a retired miner, lives here with his wife. Residents in the area say there are rats. They want the town hall to do something about the settlement, the principal concerns being health risks and the potential for fires. There are grill barbecues in this semi-wooded area.
Personal hygiene is clearly an issue. There is no running water. But one structure has been designated as a sort of shower for use by the people living there. There are bottles of shower gel and shampoo as well as large bottles of water.