The government proposes to include in 'Edificant' project the new Leonor Canalejas building and install in it the EPA

The local government will propose in the next plenary session that Benidorm City Council adhere to the 'Edificant' program of the Ministry of Education, assuming, with municipal resources, the construction of the new Leonor Canalejas school building, which will replace the old teachers' houses. Some houses that the City Hall is going to demolish, with the authorization of the Regional Government - which is the competent -, coinciding with Christmas school holidays.

The mayor and head of the area of ​​Education, Toni Pérez, has indicated that this proposal "has already exceeded this week the procedure of the Municipal School Council", and is the result of the meeting held a few weeks ago in Valencia with the heads of the Ministry . Pérez has detailed that in that meeting, in addition to seeing the details of the program, "we moved what are the educational needs of Benidorm in chronological order" and made "marry our local infrastructure needs map with the one that had the Regional Government".

In relation to Leonor Canalejas, the heads of the Ministry indicated that "they have no capacity to manage their commitment or resources" to build the new building, since they will give preference to two other projects: the completion of the IES Pere Mª Orts i Bosch works - "the first proposal that the City Hall put on the table" - and the rehabilitation project of Vasco Núñez de Balboa -second in the list of municipal priorities and that Valencia has "in portfolio" -.

So things, the government's proposal is that, in addition to the demolition of the former homes of teachers, the City Hall assumes the construction of the new building "ground floor plus two heights", with an estimated cost of about 1.5 million euros subsequently, and according to the bases of 'Edificant', the Valencian government would reimburse Benidorm for that amount.

The mayor has detailed that the ground floor of the new building would be used for kitchens, dining room, common areas and sports facilities, while the upper floors would be for the Permanent Admirals School (EPA), which since 2010 is provisionally installed in the municipal center The Torrejó.

The adhesion to 'Edificant' to develop this project should now be voted by the plenary and the School Councils of Leonor Canalejas and the EPA, which will be held next week. If the proposal prospers, it will be sent to the Conselleria for acceptance, as agreed at the meeting.

The mayor has insisted that "this government and the regional government have worked hand in hand since 2015" and also with "loyalty". "We must not create controversies in the educational field," he said, "but put the necessary resources so that the infrastructure park of Conselleria is getting better, even with municipal funds"

Program to accelerate the construction of educational facilities

The mayor stressed that Benidorm could be "one of the first councils to adhere" to 'Edificant'. This program aims to accelerate the construction of educational centers and facilities, delegating this competence to the City Councils. These will be responsible for the drafting, bidding and execution of the project with municipal funds, which will then be reintegrated by the Valencian government.

Actions developed by the City Council in Leonor Canalejas school

The City Council has carried out two actions in the Leonor Canalejas following the closure and eviction in summer 2016 of the former homes of teachers for a structural problem in one of the blocks. The first was to prepare the auditorium as a school canteen for the start of the 2016/2017 course. The second is "the imminent demolition" of these old houses.

Both actions were the responsibility of the Ministry, which authorized the City Council to implement them to accelerate the deadlines.