The mayor of Orihuela, Emilio Bascuñana, joined on Tuesday, with the president of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, and Valencia’s Minister of Finance, Vicent Soler, in transferring the ownership of the old Orihuela courthouse back into Orihuela ownership after a period of 12 years.
Two other buildings also transferred back to Orihuela council ownership were the Ahogadero de la Seda, employment workshop, and the Museo de la Muralla.
The mayor said “I feel proud that I have been able to resolve this historical problem” stressing “the work of the Department of Heritage in so doing, and councillor Rafael Almagro.
The same agreement also agrees the rent that the Generalitat will pay to Orihuela for the use of the Courts of Plaza Santa Lucia which they have on lease for ten years. In the first five years the Generalitat Valenciana will pay 75,000 euros per annum and the following five 125,000 euros.
Bascuñana said that “we hope to be able to get into the building soon and to be able to start the necessary works to put it back into council use so that we can improve the service that we are able to offer to our citizens”
With one problem solved the mayor then turned his attention to improvement works on the CV-95, the road connecting the city with the Orihuela Costa. He described the need for improvements as critical and challenged the president of the Generalitat to complete the upgrade as soon as possible.
