Loulé council has become even more voter friendly by announcing that the much despised Largo de S. Francisco will be “given back to the people,” and it is not even an election year.
The current structure of a pathway over some water was installed about ten years ago and the council admits that “it did not work" and is now is to be changed to something more in keeping with the historic nature of the city centre.
The removal of the wooden walkway and the scrapping of the litter filled pond will create a large space for locals and visitors to use, rather than to marvel at. An additional 300m2 has been earmarked for leisure purposes rather than the current architectural pretention.
The water is a popular feature and will stay on, but as pavement level fountains where urchins can laugh and play in the sunshine, allowing them “direct contact with water” according to a council notice sent out today.
The connection to the calçada paved shopping street, Rua das Lojas, will be enhanced with benches in the shade of trees so people can look at the water while resting from their pusuit of elusive retail happiness.
The €150,000 renovation works will take around months and will be completed by the start of the Festa da Mãe Soberana on April 5th, 2015.
The Loulé mayor said the people of the city rather liked the square and wanted the current mess removed and something useable installed for all to enjoy.
"It was a space where it was not easy to move around and it was not pleasant to use, especially at the Rua das Lojas end," said Vítor Aleixo with his antennae well attuned to local sentiment.
"This is a small project to change existing structures. Basically the idea is to remove all the obstacles that currently stop people using the square as a walking, talking and meeting place.”
The work is in response to citizens who, for years, have been waiting for a remodelling of this square."
The mayor said that after this contract work will start on Rua Serpa Pinto and the adjacent roads whose appearance and surfaces are badly in need of some electoral renovations.
Comments
We must assume a ratio of 2/3rds gets 'trousered' .... with some diverted to the 'independent quantifier' who agrees the projects cost.
Certainly, an EU commissioned audit might total near the 150,000 - but look closely and notice flower pots that supposedly each cost 2,000. Allegedly Marble paving slabs that are 200 euros each - but are concrete mimicing marble. The special cement used to lay the slabs comes supposedly from Italy at 300 euros each bag. Planting at 50,000 euros includes very rare cacti only found in Tunisia.
Yet all this is coincidentally also available down at the Presidents' cousin Bruno's builders merchants and garden centre for just a few euros.
Anyone auditing later, playing along with it - signs off at the full price. After all Brussels is paying !!!
Almost all these municipal infrastructure projects are 100% european community funded. Yet - through constant mishandling of funds - so many municipals have racked up millions in debt. At least 1billion that will have to be paid from resuce funds!
Although Portuguese laws exist to reclaim public funds following mis-use - Publico tells us, following the Oculta Face trial; that so far, only a million euros or so - out of the hundreds of billions that have 'gone missing' - has been reclaimed by the State.
Yet Brussels is now sending another 20+ billions south to Portugal to 'disappear' over the next few years !!!
What is the point of the EU with these perennial losers included - allegedly 'on the team' yet with their 'ducks still all over the place' ? ?