The Environment department opens the application period for the 48 new urban gardens in l'Horta on Monday

The second phase of urban gardens located on Camí de la Parva, in the heart of the Huerta de Benidorm, will be launched in the coming weeks. To this end, the Department of the Environment is opening this Monday, September 15th, the application period for the 48 new gardens. These gardens, as in previous phases, will be awarded by lottery, as announced today by the Councillor for the department, Mónica Gómez.

The councillor specified that "as in previous phases, those registered in Benidorm for at least one year and who are physically capable of agricultural work may apply for one of these gardens." The application period for plots will be open until September 24th. Applications must be submitted to the General Registry of the City Council, to the Administrative Extensions, or through the general application on the Electronic Office (https://sede.benidorm.org). Those interested must provide a photocopy of their ID or a legally valid replacement.

Once the application period has ended and applications have been validated, the lottery date will be announced.

Gómez noted that these new gardens are located next to the 49 plots from the first phase, which were launched in mid-2022. The initial project for this second phase "involved the creation of 38 plots, a task that was left to the students of 'T'Avalem Benidorm Jove II' program who are training in green space maintenance." However, "during the development of the project, it was possible to obtain greater efficiency from the available space, expanding the planned plots by 10, all measuring 7.5 x 2.5 meters."

The Councillor for the Environment explained that "those awarded the plots will receive a training talk on organic farming and the use of these spaces, an activity co-financed by the Alicante Provincial Council as part of the call for grants to city councils for urban garden projects, awarded by the Department of Economic Development and Productive Sectors." Specifically, the Benidorm City Council has received a grant of 1,500 euros.

The Environment Minister announced that "once this new phase of La Parva is operational, we will proceed to organise the remaining urban garden areas to free up any unused plots or those whose awardees are not complying with the terms and conditions, so that these gardens can be used by other interested parties."

Finally, the councillor noted that "with this second phase of gardens on Camí de La Parva, Benidorm has 171 plots available to the public in three areas of the city, designated for organic farming and personal consumption." "Beyond the environmental benefits of restoring these spaces for sustainable farming, urban gardens have established themselves as an activity and a tool for creating community and human ties, so they also make a very positive contribution to social sustainability," she noted.