' VEINS DE PARCENT' DELIVER
270 SIGNED COMPLAINTS
TO VALENCIA OMBUDSMAN

















Four members of 'Veins de Parcent'
travelled to Alicante on monday
27 March to deliver 270 signed
complaints to the Valencia Ombudsman.
We were welcomed by 'Sindic de
Greuges' staff and our petitions
were registered.













Of the 270 petitions submitted, 200 were
signed by residents of Parcent, a number
collected in just a week. This again
confirms our belief that the
public opposition in Parcent to the
proposed building plans is growing.
Ever more people are willing
to publicy state their discontent,
not only with the plans but the
manner in which our Town Hall
rushed them through using the
disgraced and now obsolete LRAU
law. We are still receiving petitions
for the Valencia Ombudsman which
will be forwarded and are now collecting
signed petitions for an identical
complaint to be sent to the Spanish
Ombudsman in Madrid. (El defensor
del pueblo). Anyone who would like
to complete this petition can contact
me for information via the comment
option at the end of the blog. I would
like to thank everyone who has supported
our petition campaign and urge them
to continue to help us when necessary.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH UNDER
THREAT IN PARCENT!!

















'Veins de Parcent' are used to our posters being
torn down and leaflets removed from doors and
torn up but our right to freedom of speech
was threatened further this weekend.
On saturday when walkers returned from
the mountain bringing placards through
the Medieval Fair being held in the village
we were threatened with the 'Guardia
Civil'. Our members remained as peaceful
and calm as always and we spent the afternoon
selling plants and t shirts and collecting
signatures for our petition to theEuropean
Parliament and complaints to the Ombudsman.

On sunday we again manned our stall, set up
in front of a private house as the Town Hall
had refused our application for an official
stall, despite two other village associations
being allowed space. We continued to sell
our plants but attracted much more attention
for our petitions as we had displayed
placards showing shocking photomontages
of an impression of how the mountain will
look before and after the planned building.

At lunchtime the village police woman came
to ask us to stop collecting signatures, on
the order of the Mayoress. We asked to see
a written order. The police woman later
returned to demand that we stop and for
a representative of 'Veins de Parcent' to
sign as responsible for the act. Within minutes
up to a 100 people came to the stall and
60 of us signed as responsible for the collection
of signatures. The act of a PP Mayoress
preventing the collection of signatures when
the PP is doing exactly the same all over Spain
(against the Catalan statutes) was an example
of how out of step our local governing party
really is.

This is just the latest attempt by our Town
Hall to curtail our freedom of expression.
Today they tried again, by holding a council
meeting at 8am, unheard of in the village.
Fortunately our supporters are early risers
and will not be thwarted by such risible
attempts to stop us voicing our concerns.
The council meeting was full of members
of 'Veins de Parcent' who heard a motion
to hold a referendum on the building plans
turned down by the ruling PP majority.

170 PEOPLE ENJOY WALK ON
'EL CARRASCAL'

'Veins de Parcent' were joined by walkers from Parcent, local villages, Denia and Altea on saturday. On a beautiful day 170 people including families, children and grandparents walked the perimeter of the largest PAI, 'La Repla' where it is planned to build 1496 houses. The walkers were joined by local botanist Joan Pellicer who pointed out local plants and explained the eocsystem of the sierra. Whilst enjoying the natural beauty of the mountain everyone became aware of the enormity of the area planned for building and the walk was a poignant reminder for many of why we must keep campaigning.

'VEINS DE PARCENT' PROTEST
SPOILS POLITICIAN'S DAY OUT














Up to 100 people gathered yesterday
in Parcent in a hastily convened protest
and successfully stopped a party of
PP politicians from officially opening the

newly paved villlage square. The group,

headed by the President of the'Diputación de

Alicante' José Joaquin Ripoll included the PP

Mayors of Ondara, Benissa, Benitaxell and Ràfol

d'Almúnia along with provincial diputodos and

the ex Mayor of Benichembla. They were

due to celebrate the new plaza at 4pm, before

moving on to other villages but 'Veins de

Parcent' spontaneous protest outside the Hotel

owned by Councillor for Town Planning Ismael

Reig kept the politicians inside the hotel till 5.15.

They left to a catcall of boos and whistles making

a swift exit from the village in their chauffeur

driven cars past banners and placards proclaiming

our slogan 'SALVEM PARCENT'.

'Veins de Parcent' would like to thank everyone

who turned up at such short notice on a working

afternoon. Yet again we have proved the local

opposition to the building plans despite the constant

denials from the Mayoress that our campaign

numbers no more than 'cuatro gatos' ( 4 cats!).

The petition against the PAI's, our extremely

successful demonstration, the numbers daily adding

their signatures to our European petition and

this immediate response to our call to join us in the

street and protest continue to show the growing level

of support for our campaign to stop the building plans.

We hope that our growing numbers will help

overcome the fear that some people have

to voice their disapproval when faced with

intense pressure from the governing party in

Parcent. We believe that freedom of speech,

honesty and justice will prevail and help us win

our battle to save our mountain and protect

our village from the threat of intensive

urbanisation.

Please join us, we hope to see many people

enjoying the mountain walk this saturday

and welcome any help in running the

campaign or contributing to financial costs.

MOUNTAIN WALK 25th MARCH

'Veins de Parcent' have organised a walk
around the perimeter of the largest of the
three building plans. The walk, leaving the
village 'Cooperativa Bar' at 9.30 on saturday
25th March is intended to show people
the barbaric extent of the proposed
development whilst enjoying a morning
out on the mountain. We will be joined by

local Doctor and renowned botonist Joan Pellicer
who will be explaining the ecology and
plant life of the area. The walk is easy and
will last about three hours and will be both
fun and educational for children. We suggest
you wear sensible clothing, take sun cream
if it's a nice day and water and a snack.
So please come and join us and appreciate in
person the natural beauty of El Carrascal and
why we are all so motivated to save it.


The pictures show 'Veins de Parcent'
members clearing the walk and recovering
the 'Font de les Cabres', or 'Goat's Spring'
from the overgrowth of the past three years
during which time it has been left abandoned.

SALVEM PARCENT. SALVEM PARCENT
http://www.veinsdeparcent.info


Over 2000 people joined us on saturday to demonstrate against the plans to build 1800 houses on El Carrascal. It was a fantastic turnout and we want to thank everyone for coming and supporting us. Not only did local people and local villages demonstrate but campaign groups from Ondara, Benissa, Calpe, Adsubia, Monovar, Vall de Llaguar and Alicante joined us adding their own protest to ours.

The demonstration was also supported by local and provincial politicians including Euro MP David Hammerstein (greens) who continues to work hard for us.

After marching through the village decked with 'SALVEM PARCENT' banners we held a rally in the village square where our manifesto was read out by Estella Comes (in Valenciano) and then in English, for the hundreds of english residents attending. The text of the Manifesto is printed below. We also collected hundreds of signatures to add to our petition to the European Parliament calling for the annullment of the council meeting at which the plans were approved and thus the plans themselves as using the obsolete LRAU law is a breach of the Treaty of the European Community. The demonstration was covered in all local and provincial press, 2 national Spanish newspapers, Spanish and English language radio programmes and this evening a report will be broadcast on our local television channel. We thank everybody for their support and will continue to work hard to publicise our protest and ask you all to help us in any way possible.

MANIFESTO

Today we have taken to the streets of Parcent to protest at the passing of three PAIS at the Pleno of the 30th January which if completed will pose a grave attack on our environment, the sustainability of our village and its traditional way of life.

How can the town council talk of sustainable growth and protection of the mountain when what they propose is to build over the remaining pine groves, replacing trees with three story housing. How can they say we have no serious arguments and we are misinformed when impartial technical reports oppose the plans, including that of the Secretary of the Town Hall of Parcent.

Mayoress, you are misinformed when you ignore the 465 signatures , 70% of Parcent voters who freely and knowingly signed their opposition to these destructive plans and in favour of a General Plan. You are misinformed when you call sustainable growth an increase of population from 1,000 to 10,000. You are misinformed when you forget your own promises. You are misinformed when you call us three or four uncontrolable elements. Mayoress, enough of your contempt, it’s time to treat all the citizens of Parcent with respect and above all listen to us.

We demand

The anullment of the pleno of 30th January

The annulment of the 3 PAIs, or at least a referendum so the citizens of Parcent can have their say on such a vital issue in anonymity.

The study of existing proposals for sustainable growth of Parcent

The drawing up of an impartial General Plan to allow for logical urban growth and activity.

and Lastly – The freezing of all monies paid by the promoters to the Town Hall, with the intention of returning these monies when the PAIs are thrown out.

Friends and companions, Parcent could become an example of the terrible destruction rampant urbanisation is causing our province and country or it could remain ,to quote our Mayoress, a small, picturesque and peaceful village. We call for

An end to the lies and An end to property speculation
A say in deciding our own futures
Stop destructive developement and Save our Villages

GREEN EURO MP DENOUNCES PARCENT
TOWN COUNCIL
David Hammerstein, Euro MP for the Spanish Green Party denounced the building plans passed by Parcent Town Council in the European Parliament this week, pointing out that to use the obsolete LRAU law two days before the implementation of the new Valencian land law (LUV) is in breach of various European directives.
'It is scandalous that they have rushed though these projects taking advantage of the holes in a law that currently has a case proceeding of infraction of European directives.' states Hammerstein.
He further criticises the municipal government of Parcent adding
'not only are they laughing at the European Parliament who approved a resolution against the LRAU land law, they are also laughing at the rights of the citizens.'

Tomorrow David Hammerstein and a number of local and provincial politicians will be joining the citizens of Parcent and surrounding areas. We are raising our voices to protect our rights; our right to free speech, our right to demonstrate and protest and our right to live in an unspoilt environment, in a village developed for the interests of the people and not for the pockets of the speculative construction industry. We ask our Town Council to listen to us!

JOIN THE DEMONSTRATION IN
PARCENT MARCH 11th

Veïns de Parcent have organised a demonstration to protest against the 3 PAIs approved by the Town Hall on 30th January 2006 and the threat faced by all local communities in the face of rampant urbanisation. We will be meeting at the entrance to the village at 4.30 Saturday 11th March, where a march will take place through the village ending in a meeting in the 'plaza' where our manifesto will be read out.

The demonstation will be attended by people from Parcent and all surrounding villages, local politicians, ecological groups, residents groups, and the Euro Mp for the Green Party, David Hammerstein. National television, radio, local and national press, both Spanish and English are expected to cover the event.

We invite all those able to attend to join us and protest against the outrageous plans to destroy our mountain and our way of life. We call for an end to intensive urbanisation and the development of plans allowing for more sustainable and environmentally friendly urban growth.

MESSAGES OF SUPPORT




Nick Clark has sent me this mail describing his memories of running up the Coll de Rates together with his sketches. Thanks Nick, a reminder of a lovely summer in Parcent.














































This vividly relives my thrill of finding a way up the zig zag path for the final bit of the journey up to the look out point. It also flooded me with sentimental thoughts about how fantastic it is to be up there and I realise how fond I am of going out and about - feeling priveledged to know my way round - wondering around at times to find a new route coming across bee hives, evidence of wild life... jumping over the spikey plants that cut your legs, stopping in the shade of a small tree. Looking out for wild boar in the foothills... The long winding road back down, nodding with acknowledgement at the cyclists going up, the prospect of that cold water from the well - or the shade of the pine trees that line the football pitch (best shade of all) ... racing through the woody bit on the way back -because of the slope it was easier to sprint than jog! Passing the really nice barman from bar Guay. And then there's the glow of sitting down with you lovely lot - with a cold beer and looking up way to the distance and (smugly!) thinking - was I really was up there earlier? Wow I was and it was brilliant!Good luck

Helen Czudej has sent you a link to a weblog: We strongly support the campaign to save Parcent. We have spent many happy hours with our friends in the village over the last ten years and feel a sense of tremendous sadness and loss for the potential destruction of yet another corner of traditional Spain. Good luck.


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GREEN PARTY CONFERENCE ON URBAN PLANNING ABUSES IN SPAIN

Member of Veïns de Parcent travelled to Madrid this week to take part in a Conference organised by David Hammerstein, Spanish Euro MP for the Green Party. The conference dealt with the issues of intensive urbanisation in the whole of Spain, from the building on Mediterranean coastal areas to golf courses in Murcia, motorways in areas of outstanding natural beauty in Andalucia and desecration of the sierras of Madrid. A fascinating speech by Alejandra Gómez Céspade, Professor of Criminology at Malaga University spoke of the links between rampant construction and organised crime, particularly the laundering of black money. Kjell Sevon, Judicial Assesor for the Greens at the Petitions Committe of the European Parliament spoke of the many petitions received by the European Parliament dealing with urban planning irregularities in Spain. Three out of every four such complaints received are from Spain.

At the end of the conference David Hammerstein and Kjell Sevon held a meeting with members of citizens groups from all over Spain at which the problem of Parcent was raised and options for taking action against the building plans discussed. Not only was this meeting helpful but we also found it very motivating being with people from all over Spain involved in similar campaigns. At the end of the meeting it was proposed we form a national federation to air our complaints on a national level which we hope will put much more pressure on local and national government.