AGENDA LOCAL 21 MEETING
A few chosen people were invited
to this meeting last Tuesday evening (20th June), with the police
woman on duty to ensure that no one else could get in. So much for
democracy! How the people invited were chosen, we are not
sure. Apparently only 18 received invitations, but the Mayoress herself
admitted that there are only 4 associations registered at the town
hall. In a village of 1000 people one would think that it would not be
difficult to identify the groups and people interested in such an exercise.
Only about half of those invited actually attended. Those represented included
the Cooperativa, the pensioners' association, the
school parents' association, the agricultural water users, the El Repla
association of neighbours and landowners (though Mark was actually invited as
the "President of the European Residents" - a title in Mari Carmen's
power to bestow on whom she pleases, it seems!), L'Aixavega
(ecology movement), and the village pilota
association. Also present, besides Mari Carmen, were Ismael Reig, the town planning
councillor, and his builder brother Román, allegedly representing Partida Barranquet but, as we
know, it is really a group of 7 landowners hoping for the El Repla PAI to be passed so that they can develop it. Also the
president of the Council of Farmers, which is an advisory body to the council,
not an association, should not have been present in our opinion. Jacqui
Cotterill was allowed in to represent the Veïns at the last minute after
speaking to Mari Carmen.
The list of those not present and
not even invited in many cases, includes the Amas de
Casa (housewives assoc.), anyone to represent the young people of the village,
or anyone from La Solana or El Cantalar areas. There
was no interpreter available to help those without a good knowledge of Spanish,
though at least the meeting was mainly conducted in Castellano.
The Coalición
Democrática de Parcent decided not to attend the
meeting, even though invited at the last minute after being
"overlooked". We feel that the total lack of any true
inter-party consultation at any stage of government in Parcent, so that we are
effectively excluded from any decisions taken in the town hall, removes any
credibility from the present governing body. For example, the first we knew of
Agenda 21 being implemented was when invitations were sent out last week, even
though the technical officers doing the "diagnosis" of Parcent's
sustainability had been working in Parcent since February. The PP seem to
forget, conveniently, that nearly half the electorate voted against them
in 2003.
40 people demonstrated peacefully outside the town
hall while the meeting was in progress - our thanks to all those who came.
The meeting was conducted by the
two allegedly impartial technical officers - employed by the Diputación de Alicante, not Parcent – who have drawn up the
Environmental Diagnostic Study. They presented their findings and a copy of
these will be sent to the town hall shortly, so that group representatives
present at the meeting can show it to their members for them to make their
comments and suggestions. However, it will be difficult to discuss adequately
such a large survey, which took 3-4 months to complete, in a couple of hours. The timetable to complete the whole
process of consultation should be
terminated by September, according to their plan. However, we all feel that
this is unrealistic and we will try to get a longer period allocated.
The question then arises as to
whether this Agenda Local 21 process has any validity at all, given that the
officers have not taken into account the PAIs and
draft General Plan that are in the town hall at the moment. We feel that
the process of planning in Parcent has been carried out completely in reverse –
approve PAIs, draw up a General Plan, carry out an
Environmental Impact Study, consult the people under Agenda 21 (or any other
way). Now read these back the right way round!
Then the question arises – should
we be taking part in a process that is patently flawed and pointless? Agenda 21
proposals for a sustainable future for Parcent have to be agreed by consensus,
i.e. everyone has to agree on a particular plan of action. But, having
(hopefully) reached this unanimous conclusion, it is not binding on the
government, now or in the future, to implement it.
As the Agenda 21 process is meant
to be inclusive and seek the opinions of everyone, we ask you all, as
members of the Veïns de Parcent movement, to let us know what you think. Should
we :-
1.
Take
part in the process, flawed as it is, so that we can put our point of view
across and establish that we cannot accept any plan of action that includes the
PAIs and draft General Plan?
2.
Withdraw
from the process and make our point from outside that any decisions taken will
be without the consensus of ALL the people of Parcent?
Please email us at veinsdeparcent@hotmail.com with "Agenda 21" as the Subject, by
next Friday. If you have any questions about any of the above information,
please also email us with "Agenda 21 query" as the Subject. We
will get back to you as soon as possible.
As soon as the technical report
is available, we will be arranging a general meeting to show it to you. Those
of you also in the El Repla association will be contacted by Mark Harrison as
well.
I look forward
to receiving your replies shortly.
Jenny