UPV reports indicate damages in the structure
Benidorm assumes the adequacy of the Assembly Hall, where the provisional dining will be placed
Benidorm City Council and the Ministry of Education have agreed the closure and eviction of the old houses of school teachers at Leonor Canalejas, after a report from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) commissioned by the local administration which has shown that one of the three blocks in the structure is damaged and has a "low level of structural safety." The other two blocks have also an "unsatisfactory state." The mayor and delegate of Education, Toni Pérez, has reported that the City Council requested this report in late April because "there were signs of possible significant deficiencies" in these homes. The interim report of the UPV recommended to "prohibit the use of the affected areas"; while the final report, received by the City Council on August 1 and transferred the next day to the Regional Directorate of Education, advises "non-rehabilitation of the spaces of the blocks and demolishing them." Pérez explained that City Council and Territorial Management met on 23 and 30 August to assess the situation, and this Friday was held a meeting with the School Council. The result of these meetings has been a decree signed by the mayor providing "the non-use of all apartments in the block", which forces to move services to other places. The mayor pointed out that the lower of these houses are home to the kitchen and dining room of the school, which "will temporarily move to the auditorium." The City Council has taken the works to adapt the Assembly Hall for the dining service ". Pérez clarified that this forces "to make a restructuring in the dinning service and now must be made by a catering company," as the school kitchen cannot be used for damages. He also advanced that it is possible that the City Council also assume the cost of demolition of these blocks of flats, due to "difficulties" of the Ministry to perform this action, which in any case is "not imminent" because the housing blocks are not in ruin and eviction is done for "prevention". In this regard, the mayor indicated that in case of receiving the authorization from the Ministry, the City Council will make a draft and consign funds for the demolition of these blocks to be executed before the end of the course 2016/2017. According to the mayor, the educational community of Leonor Canalejas has asked the Ministry, during the School Board held today, the commitment to act urgently in the school to build new educational spaces once housing blocks were torn down.
Transfer to other services or departments
In addition to kitchens and the dining school, five of the homes of these blocks are in use. Thus, one of the houses is occupied by a teacher; another is the office of the Local Group of APAs; in the basement of one of the blocks the Business Incubator; and two are used for storage. Pérez remarked that have instructed various municipal departments for the progressive dismantling of these services and their location in other spaces.
Maintenance work in schools
The mayor used his appearance before the media to report that during the summer the City Council has replaced the damaged or broken blinds all schools, while works are being developed in eight schools. In addition, plumbing repairs, in all the centers that have requested them, have been made.
