EIGHTH BLUE FLAG FLYING AT ALCAIDESA MARINA

For the eighth year running, Marina Alcaidesa has been awarded the blue flag that certifies the quality of its waters and its facilities.

The mayor, Juan Franco, and the marina director, Tony Valbuena, today raised the blue flag, accompanied by the head of communication, Ana Morales.

Valbuena says that the eighth consecutive blue flag clearly underlines "the excellence of the marina and the city itself. The flag reflects the image of the marina that we want to convey, as in quality, environmental protection and eco-friendly facilities, because in the end that's what our customers value". Among other achievements, he pointed out that Marina Alcaidesa has the only dry dock in Andalusia with its own waste treatment plant.

The mayor highlighted "the prestige and track record" of the company Alcaidesa Servicios with the port facilities, as well as the enormous potential of the marina, which hasn't yet been fully developed. The city council believes that certain aspects could be enhanced by the Port Authority of Algeciras Bay, holder of the concession, as "there's much more to do and it can grow a lot. The marina currently generates fifty-five direct and two hundred indirect jobs, and this has to go further. We all have to make sure that we get we the port and the city we want, ultimately extending the waterfront to the west", said the mayor.

Juan Franco particularly mentioned the development of the western zone, conditioned by the Port Authority, saying that "it has a system of administrative concessions with a huge potential, but the conditions being established are not the most appropriate". With this, he was referring to the two abandoned tenders for the retail area.

Focussing on the future of the city's coastline, the mayor promised that the development of the eastern zone will be a municipal goal included in the future Urban Zoning Plan.

"We want a respectful development with environmental and sustainability criteria, but which also provides the conditions for creating jobs and making La Línea a tourist destination", said the mayor. The initial approval of the new Urban Zoning Plan is expected to take place at the council meeting in September.