Orihuela mayor Emilio Bascuñana makes ‘bin PAT’ plea

ORIHUELA’S mayor Emilio Bascuñana opposed all aspects of the regional government’s Vega Baja Territorial Action Plan (PAT).

The Vega Baja is included in similar action plans that the Generalitat has introduced throughout the region to coordinate municipal development while reaching sustainability targets.

“We demand the withdrawal of the entire PAT because its proposals asphyxiate Orihuela and the Vega Baja, hindering growth and development,” Bascuñana declared. “They are sentencing the area.”

The mayor complained that the PAT was prepared behind the backs of local governments and the Vega Baja population despite affecting industry, tourism, agriculture and construction.

“There was practically no participation beforehand to identify and analyse the real needs of our territory,” Bascuñana said.

He emphasised that the Vega Baja’s PAT particularly punished the agri-foods sector and would prevent it from continuing to be competitive.

“Agriculture should be a driving force but they don’t provide solutions for the water supply and don’t take into account the Tajo-Segura pipeline,” he said.

“Neither do they mention flood-prevention infrastructure nor communications infrastructure to improve mobility between Vega Baja municipalities.”

The Vega Baja plan implied “absolute inequality” with the rest of the Valencian Community, Bascuñana maintained. 

“It turns us into second class citizens, because it limits our activities in  Orihuela and the Vega Baja but not those that are carried out in other areas.”