The special plan's figures
The expansion of Xàbia's Canal de la Fontana would be a profitable venture for its concessionaire. According to the analysis of the special plan published by La Marina Plaza, the economic study that Marina Nou Fontana commissioned from two consultancies calculates operating profit, before tax, of €19,979,958. This results from forecast income of €26.6 million minus the €6.6 million investment the company commits to making.
The project, which Marina Nou Fontana presented in a document dated June, proposes to gain water surface to create around 60 new moorings, urbanise the surroundings and build new roads with more than 200 parking spaces. For this it needs a municipal plot of around 17,600 square metres, which the Town Council should cede to the Generalitat so that it would make it available to the company. The total scope of the plan exceeds 33,800 square metres.
The condition: 15 more years of concession
The plan conceals a request that has barely been discussed until now. The current concession, signed in November 2014 for thirty years, expires in 2044. Marina Nou Fontana is asking to extend it by a further 15 years, so that it would continue managing the canal at least until 2059.
For the company it is an essential condition. The document argues that the extension is not an independent act but a consequence of the investment the concessionaire would make, and justifies it under Valencian port legislation by the improvement of the facilities and creation of infrastructure that will revert to public ownership.
What it offers in return
In exchange for the expansion, the concessionaire offers to complete the urbanisation of Vía Augusta and build a building that it would cede to the Town Council for uses of general interest, which has been said would be allocated to emergencies. It would also equip the plot, currently undeveloped, with public lighting and sewerage.
According to the breakdown published by La Marina Plaza, however, of the €6.6 million investment, €3.6 million corresponds to maritime works that improve the canal itself, and around €2.5 million to external works for the municipality's benefit. The same outlet notes that the building for the Town Council would be in a flood-risk zone, something the plan does not clarify.
The company argues that the proposal responds to growing nautical and tourist demand and seeks to "consolidate Xàbia's position as a leading nautical and tourist hub". It also argues that the expansion would improve navigation safety within the canal.
A divided local government
The project divides the municipal government. The PP advocates studying the proposal before deciding. Its Urban Planning councillor, Pere Sapena, highlighted at the last plenary session that the investment would benefit Xàbia, and the conservatives recall that the marina reorganisation already meant eliminating 57 moorings due to navigation regulations requirements, which in their view should be taken into account when assessing the 60 new ones. The mayor, Rosa Cardona, denies that a decision has been taken.
Its government partner, Ciudadanos por Jávea (CpJ), instead rejects ceding public land for the expansion and accuses the PP of making unilateral decisions on behalf of the executive. Compromís and the PSOE also oppose it, warning of nautical overcrowding in the bay.
The paradox came at the September plenary session. The PSOE presented a motion for the Town Council to reject the expansion, but CpJ voted against its urgency and Compromís abstained, despite both opposing the project. With the tie, the mayor's casting vote kept the study of the proposal alive.
In initial phase
The special plan is in its early stages of processing. To go ahead it needs the Town Council to accept ceding the municipal plot and the Generalitat, which the concession depends on, to approve both the expansion and the extension of the term.
