The PSOE criticises another “botched job” by Toni Pérez for delaying the works at Plaza de Manizales
Cristina Escoda denounces that the PP has spent two and a half years failing to comply with a court ruling and criticises the mayor for now blaming the central government after the tender received no bids
The Socialist Municipal Group of Benidorm denounced the “incompetence” and “disastrous management” of Toni Pérez's governing team, following the announcement that the tender for the urbanisation and repair of Plaza Ciudad de Manizales has been declared void due to the lack of any construction companies submitting bids.
The Socialist spokesperson, Cristina Escoda, described this announcement as “another botched job by the Popular Party,” recalling that more than two and a half years have passed since the Administrative Court No. 1 of Alicante ordered the City Council to “urgently” adopt the necessary measures to stop the serious water leaks that are damaging the structure and the framework of the underground parking garage located beneath the plaza. “Unfortunately, the governing team has gone years without complying with the ruling, leaving the plaza in a third-world state that not only affects the city's image but also poses a serious structural risk to the underground parking garage located beneath it,” she emphasised.
Escoda criticised the mayor for trying “once again to evade his responsibilities” by blaming the lack of bids on the Spanish government and price controls. “This is Toni Pérez’s easy way out when he fails: passing the buck and blaming Madrid. The reality is that if the PP government had done its homework on time and met the deadlines set in the tender documents themselves, the bid prices would have been attractive to contractors and the works would already be underway,” the spokesperson emphasised.
Furthermore, the Socialist leader recalled that almost a year ago, the Councillor for Urban Scene visited the square “to make empty promises, get his picture taken, and announce imminent works that are now being delayed again due to the PP’s negligence.” “We are facing a serious public safety problem and a complete lack of respect for the residents and the parking garage owners. Toni Pérez and his councillors are not running Benidorm; they are focused on propaganda, social media photos, and making excuses when things go wrong due to their own incompetence,” he stated.
Finally, Escoda demanded that the mayor put the project out to tender again as soon as possible, not only to avoid further delays to a project mandated by the courts, but also for safety reasons. “We will not allow Toni Pérez’s incompetence to jeopardise the safety of the plaza, nor will we allow his delay to end up costing the residents of Benidorm even more money,” he concluded.