The plenary session approves the awards for Jaume Antón, Rafael Doménech and José Antonio Añón

Benidorm City Council unanimously approved three proposals today from the Board of Spokespersons: to name a street in the city after Jaume Antón Grau, to name the auditorium of the Cultural Centre after Rafael Doménech Pardo, and to name the youth hostel in Parc de la Séquia Mare after José Antonio Añón Ramón.

The session was held this morning in a packed council chamber, filled mostly with family members of the three honorees, as well as representatives of the city's civil society, who wished to be present for the public recognition of these three prominent figures in local history.

The municipal secretary read the three proposals aloud. He highlighted Jaume Antón's commitment to Benidorm, "to its music, its language, its gastronomy, and its history." Antón assumed the presidency of the Benidorm Musical Union (UMB), and with him, “important figures from the city joined the board of directors to continue the work of Rafael Doménech Pardo.”

The proposal notes that in the same year he took office, the UMB won first prize at the Altea International Music Competition, the first award the band had ever received. This paved the way for other awards, such as those at the 22nd Provincial Band Competition in 1993 and the 15th Valencian Community Band Competition that same year. The proposal also highlights important initiatives undertaken by Antón himself to promote Benidorm and the surrounding region through music.

Antón served on the board of directors of the FSMCV (Federation of Musical Societies of the Valencian Community) and presided over the 16th General Assembly held in Benidorm in 1984. He stepped down as president of the UMB (Benidorm Municipal Union) in 2003, “after 20 years as president, with some 200 musicians joining the symphonic band and over a thousand students enrolled in the music school.” He was involved with numerous local cultural and festive associations, and in the final years of his life, he remained closely connected to everything he had dedicated his life to. As honorary president of the UMB, he was awarded the ‘Ciutat de Benidorm’ Cultural Distinction in 2013.

In the case of Rafael Doménech, he arrived in Benidorm in 1970 as a member of the musical group ‘Los Sonartis’, entertaining residents and tourists for several years at the ‘Granada’ nightclub. In 1976, he took over the management of the organization and was officially presented at a special concert at the Capitol Cinema in February 1977.

He spearheaded projects such as the Benidorm Provincial Band Competition, the International Music Course, the ‘Villa de Benidorm’ Festival Music Competition, and the ‘Music in Schools’ program. Under his direction, the UMB won several awards at competitions and carried the name of Benidorm to numerous corners of Spain, most notably performing for His Holiness John Paul II at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on November 3, 1982.

As a composer, he is the author of more than 40 works in various genres, some of which have won awards and been published, such as ‘Fiesta en Benidorm’, dedicated to the musicians of the Unión Musical and which is currently the official anthem of the Festes Majors Patronals (Benidorm's main festival). He holds the city's Gold Medal, is an Honorary Citizen of Benidorm, a distinction awarded to him in December 1986, and was recently granted the City of Benidorm Cultural Award in 2015.

José Antonio Añón, for his part, was the driving force behind the creation of the ‘Horizontes’ Scout Group in 1978, serving as its first leader until his death in December 1998. Through his commitment and dedication, he instilled in everyone the importance of having a scout group in Benidorm. Añón, the proposal states, “was a committed and altruistic person, practical, decisive, capable of anticipating problems and, when faced with obstacles, finding solutions.

He was a person “with great leadership skills who knew how to surround himself with a great team to make a dream shared by dozens of families a reality, with the parents of the children playing a fundamental role, a group that continues to be a cornerstone of the group's daily life and activities in Benidorm. With him at the helm, the Horizontes Scout Group began to integrate itself into the community, collaborating and participating in various festive events, volunteering in different sporting competitions, and even organising the Three Kings Parade for several years.

On the group's fifth anniversary, a visit was made to Italy, where they met Pope John Paul II and won various regional, local, and national awards at different Scout song festivals. In September 2019, Añón posthumously received the Silver Medal for Scout Merit, one of the most prestigious awards in Valencian Scouting. In recent decades, and even today, youth associations are inconceivable without his figure.

The fifth extension of the contract for managing the operation of sunbeds, parasols, lifeguard services, accessible beaches, and beach cleaning was also unanimously approved for another year, from January 16, 2026, to January 15, 2027. According to Councillor Mónica Gómez, the agreement also entails “denying any type of compensation for the period between March 13, 2020, and June 30, 2022, due to the health restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as this period is considered to have been granted by the plenary session agreement of December 30, 2024.”

The cost of the services to be provided by the winning bidder for beaches, lifeguarding and rescue, accessible beaches, and other services, according to the valuation included in the Administrative Terms and Conditions, amounts to €2,029,740.

The session also unanimously approved the continuation of the street cleaning and municipal solid waste collection service for 2026, in accordance with the prices approved and in effect in 2025. Thus, this year's annual budget totalled €15,265,651.17. Aida García Mayor, Councilor for Contracting, explained that the new contract "is currently in the bidding phase following the approval of the new terms and conditions, and since there is no winning bidder yet, it is necessary to maintain the service until a contract is awarded." The councilwoman emphasized that the proposal “has all the necessary approvals” and that it is an agreement “based on 2025 prices.” “It is a basic service that must continue to be provided until a new operator is selected,” she concluded.

Regarding Mobility, the council also unanimously approved the conversion of a taxi license to a Euro Taxi license, as requested by a license holder. Francis Muñoz, the Councilor for Mobility, stated that this conversion “promotes equal rights and accessibility for people with reduced mobility, enhances the image of the transportation sector, and is an initiative that improves people's quality of life.”

The council approved the Third Strategic Plan for Equality between Women and Men 2026-2030 by a majority vote of the PP and PSOE, with Vox voting against. At this point, the Councilor for Equality, Ángela Zaragozí, emphasized the need to “promote changes in attitudes, behaviors, and social structures to ensure that women and men have equal opportunities to participate equally in political, social, cultural, economic, and professional life.” For this reason, she said, the aforementioned Plan has been developed, “continuing the commitment adopted by the Benidorm City Council in 2008 with the approval of the First Municipal Plan for Gender Equality.”

The three municipal groups also agreed to approve the request from the residents' association of 8 Tordo Street (Andalucía Building) for a concession for the private occupation of public land to install an elevator for universal accessibility. Jaime Jesús Pérez, Councillor for Heritage, explained that “the building's characteristics make it unfeasible to install the elevator inside” and that it is a building “where elderly people and residents with reduced mobility live, therefore there are reasons of social interest.”

Finally, regarding finances, the council approved, with a majority vote from the governing team, the payment of invoices under its jurisdiction for cleaning and waste collection services, totalling €4,295,622.29. “All the invoices have been reviewed by the technical staff, and this is a basic service that cannot be discontinued and must be paid for. The work was actually carried out, so its approval is warranted,” stated Councilor Aida García Mayor.

The plenary session concluded with Mayor Toni Pérez wishing everyone a “happy end to the year and a prosperous 2026,” following “a year in which the city celebrated its 700th anniversary. May there be many more, and may all the residents of Benidorm enjoy good health.”