Costa Blanca
Elche begins a plan to remove cables

A master plan for the removal of overhead electrical wires has been authorised by the Elche City Council. It will start in the historic centre and spread out across the entire city. a project that aims to update telecommunications infrastructure by burying the cables, conserve heritage, and enhance the city’s image.
The necessity of “order and planning” in the cable area has been emphasised by Mayor Pablo Ruz. In response to the seeming turmoil brought on by flying cables or coils on the façade, he has stated unequivocally that the local administration “will be inflexible, not only for aesthetic reasons, but also for rigour.”
This proposal lays out a 10-month action plan that consists of three phases and a total investment of 137,000 euros. The plan calls for the removal of 74 overhead wires and their replacement with subterranean pipelines. In this manner, the telecoms providers will be in charge of moving their infrastructure to the new subterranean lines, while the Elche City Council would cover the costs of the civil works.
To assess the approach and modify the burying techniques, pilot tests will be conducted in streets with a high density of overhead cables during the first phase. After that, the several operators will work together to remove the cabling. In order to ensure that overhead cables are removed from the entire city and to stop any more installations that could detract from the city’s appearance, an ordinance is now being draughted.
This “new ordinance will be very restrictive and forceful with companies that abuse public spaces without order,” as Ruz recently noted. “It is time to tell companies to place this wiring in an orderly and sensible manner,” he has said in this regard. Furthermore, he has stated that over half of the cables that are currently installed are not being used.
The mayor also noted that several measures were taken to eliminate overhanging cables in the vicinity of Santa María and Plaza de Baix last year.

With a budget of 48,375 euros, the first phase of the strategy comprises pilot tests in a few streets in the historic district to assess the approach and improve implementation. Regarding this, Claudiio Guilabert, the Councillor for Contracting, has noted that a minor contract would be used to conduct the tender and will be initially posted on the State Contracting Platform.
The municipal goal to enhance the urban environment includes this master plan, which supplements the subterranean work already completed as part of the deployment of single platforms in various
the old center’s streets. Subterranean pipelines have been integrated thanks to these earlier interventions, which have also made it easier to remove overhead wiring later on and enhanced the public area’s accessibility and attractiveness.
This plan is an additional step in the consolidation of a contemporary and sustainable urban model, and Elche has been a leader in the adoption of creative urban planning solutions to restore the historic center’s heritage value.
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Costa Blanca
Sticky Vicky’s daughter quits mum’s iconic Benidorm show

Adhesive the stage act has been sensationally abandoned by Vicky’s daughter, who has followed in her late mother’s footsteps, thereby leaving behind her family’s Benidorm legacy.
The unexpected decision was made after María Gadea Aragón assumed responsibility for the adult-themed magic performances following the passing of her mother, Victoria María Aragón Gadea, in 2023 at the age of 80.
María, who had been employing her mother’s stage identity in the well-known Spanish resort, has now discontinued her performances after a decade on stage.
María performed frequently at venues including the Palladium, Zodiaco, and Rockerfellers, as well as Benidorm which is a popular destination for British expatriates and vacationers.
Des Bellamy-Wright, an employee at the Benidorm Palladium, verified that María is no longer employed in the lively Spanish city. Des stated, “Sticky Vicky is no longer operational in Benidorm.” The ‘Carmen Snake – Sticky Show’ is a similarly entertaining program that is broadcast every night at 12:45 a.m. “
The official reason for Maria’s retirement was not disclosed, and her final performance was in November 2024.
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Costa Blanca
Elche’s H&M shop closing

The Swedish retail chain H&M announced in 2024 that it would be reducing the number of stores and employment it has in Spain due to “organisational, productive, and economic” reasons. Around 50 layoffs were the result of the closure of stores in the L’Aljub retail centres in Elche, Ociopía in Orihuela, and Habaneras in Torrevieja, which had consequences for the province of Alicante.
Additionally, these were the sole instances in the Valencian Community that were impacted. The Torrevieja store was the first to shut its doors in May 2024 since that time. The Orihuela store was subsequently closed on September 14th of the same year. Currently, the Elche store has shuttered its doors. The facility was closed to the public on March 14th, following its final day of operation on March 11th. It will be entirely shut down on March 22nd. Approximately 20 employees are being laid off at this Elche store. It is the final establishment in the province of Alicante that will not reopen, and the circumstances of the dismissal were negotiated in October. The employees have departed the company with an agreement as a result of these negotiations, according to Yolanda de la Casa, the general secretary of the CCOO Services Federation in Alicante.
The dismissal terms that were established following the October negotiations were 45 days until 2012 and 33 days until the present. A gratuity of 3,500 euros was granted for the first five years, 4,000 euros for the next ten years, and a maximum of 4,500 euros for the subsequent years.
Furthermore, three relocations have occurred among the 50 individuals who were laid off in the province, spanning Elche, Orihuela, and Torrevieja. Lely Fernández of UGT l’Alacantí-La Marina informed this newspaper that these were part-time employees from the Habaneras shopping centre in Torrevieja who were transferred to the La Zenia shopping centre, which continues to operate and is accessible.
H&M initiated 2024 by announcing the closure of 28 stores and approximately 588 collective redundancies. The figure was reduced to 521 reductions in a subsequent revision.
The Torrevieja store closed its doors to the public on May 17th, 2024, and the lease expired on May 24th, never to be reopened. Nevertheless, numerous employees at this establishment were granted the opportunity to relocate to other nearby stores that were still operational. In September 2024, Ociopía followed suit, and Elche followed suit in March 2025.
The H&M group operates over 100 stores and employs nearly 4,000 individuals in the country. This decision was made by the Scandinavian company in order to “adapt and perfect” its stores in a “changing” shopping environment for its consumers. Additionally, Spain would be responsible for 17% of the brand’s global closures, as indicated by the data that the company disclosed months ago when it presented its 2023 financial year.
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Costa Blanca
Man stole fire extinguishers to sell as scrap metal

A 20-year-old male is currently under investigation by the Guardia Civil for the purported theft of ten fire extinguishers. The fire extinguishers were discovered by Seprona officers during an inspection of a scrap metal establishment in Torrevieja. The store manager and the criminal are both the subject of an investigation.
The fire extinguishers, which were in near-new condition and completely charged, were discovered by the Servicio de Protección a la Naturaleza (Seprona) officers during the inspection. The investigation was initiated due to the fact that this material is “uncommon” in this form of business, as explained by sources from the Armed Forces.
Upon discovering the fire extinguishers, the officers enquired about the scrapyard manager’s documentation regarding the extinguishers’ arrival. The manager responded that he did not possess any proof of ownership. Additionally, he disclosed that a woman and her son had abandoned them there without his permission.
The company responsible for maintaining the fire extinguishers was identified by Seprona officers after they analysed the evidence and proof acquired. This verified that the extinguishers were located in a building in Torrevieja. The missing equipment was reported by the property manager of this community of proprietors shortly thereafter.
Fire extinguishers were recovered
Officers were permitted to confiscate the fire extinguishers and transport them to the Torrevieja Civil Guard barracks as a result of the formal complaint. Upon verification of their origin, they were returned to their legitimate owners.
The individuals implicated have been identified as a result of the operation. The 20-year-old man who is supposed to have stolen the fire extinguishers is being investigated for theft, while the 23-year-old proprietor of the scrap yard is being investigated for receiving stolen goods.
The Guardia Civil emphasises the necessity of reporting these types of incidents and reminds all individuals of the significance of doing so. In order to prevent the acquisition of stolen material, scrap metal dealers must establish rigorous controls, such as document checks on sellers and items received.
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