• The Government Assembly approved 35 new projects to be financed by the fund for local sustainability, that amounts to 17.7 million euros and will create 353 jobs.
• The allocation of 8.6 million euros of the Plan E to the current expenses related to social and educational programmes has been approved, as envisaged by the new fund.
• One of the most noteworthy projects is the creation of a pedestrian area in the La Soledat neighbourhood, that was proposed by the pupils from the school.
• The definitive SAPS building and the launch of the public bicycle system are some further projects that will be carried out.
  

The government team has continued with the approval of the new projects to be financed by the fund for local sustainability of the Plan E. Among these projects, the most outstanding is probably the city's second pedestrian area, the Santa Catalina pedestrian area, that will be carried out after the accomplishment of the Blanquerna pedestrian area. The state fund of 2010 allocates 42.7 million euros to Palma, from which 34.2 million euros will be allocated to investments and the remaining 8.5 million euros will be allocated to current expenses for the maintenance of the citizen services, especially in the social and educational sectors.

The Government Assembly approved 35 projects amounting to 17.7 million euros in total (15.1 million euros excluding VAT). These projects will be added to the 9 projects that had been approved until now and amount to 15.26 million euros in total (13.16 million euros excluding VAT). It is noteworthy to highlight at this point the projects that have been approved, such as the maritime façade's park, the Ses Vies Corridor or the demolition of the Sayonara hotel.

Hence, the majority of the projects have already been approved, i.e. a total of 44 projects amounting to 32.95 million euros (VAT included). The projects approved until now imply the creation of 557 jobs.

The new projects submitted by Palma to the fund for local sustainability, i.e. to the second Plan E, contribute towards the improvement of areas within the city, towards an environmentally more sustainable city, to the provision of services to the citizens, thereby mainly focusing on social and educational programmes and, finally, to the implementation of new technologies into the daily life of our city.

Most of these new projects will not be affecting the roads. The number of works to be carried out this year is much less than those carried out within the scope of the Plan E 2009, thanks to which 117 projects were carried out in Palma. All the projects will contribute to improve the life quality in our city, while, at the same time, will be a tool for the creation of employment in times of economic recession, such as we see today.

One of the aspects worth highlighting about the new fund for 2010 is the fact that it allows the city councils to allocate up to 20 % of the amount assigned to finance current expenses of social programmes that are competence of the municipality, i.e. programmes mainly providing education and support to people in a situation of dependency.

Keeping this in mind, the Government Assembly approved the allocation of 8.6 million euros to the current expenses of social and educational programmes. More specifically, the funds will be allocated to the following: to the municipal guidance services, to the municipal elementary music school, to the 'Èxit' programme providing guidance services and learning support to pupils, municipal services providing support to adult people, to the home meal delivery service, to the service providing aid services at home, cleaning services of schools, services providing transport services adapted to the needs of people with reduced mobility, meal services for the social services' facilities and to the municipal concierge services at schools.

Most outstanding projects that have been approved:

The Santa Catalina pedestrian area

The urban improvement of the Santa Catalina neighbourhood and the creation of the pedestrian area ¿ the second pedestrian area after the accomplishment of the Blanquerna pedestrian area ¿ is one of the most outstanding projects among those that have been approved. The pedestrian area will run along C/ Fàbrica. Within the scope of the first stage of the project ¿ the stage that is being submitted to the State Fund ¿ the Santa Catalina pedestrian area will run from Avinguda de l'Argentina until C/ Comte de Barcelona.

The measures imply the building of a bicycle lane as well as further actions that will contribute to the improvement of the neighbourhood from an environmental point of view, enhance the mobility within the area and create open areas within the city. Besides, the elimination of architectural barriers and on improving the access, the improvement of pavements, the improvement of the public lighting ¿ including low tension networks -, the underground laying of wires, the installation of underground waste containers, the implementation of infrastructures that encourage the saving and efficiency in the management of water resources (redesign of the drinking water network and of the waste water network) as well as measures related to the improvement of trees are some of the measures envisaged by the new pedestrian area project.

As has been the case in the Blanquerna pedestrian area, this new area will provide for more open and quieter space for pedestrians that invites residents to promenade. The project will approximately create 45 jobs.

New SAPS

The erection of the SAPS building (Shelter and Social Promotion Centre) in its definite location at Can Pere Antoni (the road that continues from C/ Joan Maragall, plot nr. EQ4a/AS) was also submitted to the state fund with a budget of 1.2 million euros (VAT excluded) and an employment forecast of 25 people. The project of the Asylum and Social Promotion Service forecasts a capacity for 43 people.

The most outstanding aspect of this building site is that it is exactly the same site where the centre had been located until the year 2008. The City Council of Palma wishes to thank the Federation of Neighbourhood Associations (FEPAE) for its contribution, as it has been this Federation that suggested this location.

The prolongation of the road C/ Joan Maragall towards the backside of the Congress Palace has created a municipal triangle-shaped plot of land covering a surface of 557 square metres. One of its sides faces towards the new road that spreads along 41.38 metres and the two other sides are 28.87 metres and 58.17 metres wide respectively. The total built surface of the centre will be 1,092 square metres.

Creation of a 20 km/h low-speed area in the La Soledat neighbourhood upon the proposal of the school's pupils

This is one of the most innovative measures to be implemented, since it is is the result of a participative process lasting over two years and whose main characters are the pupils of the La Soledat school. The school's pupils were the ones to suggest the modification reflected in this project.

The measure implies the allocation of the area comprising Plaça de Sant Francesc Xavier, located in the La Soledat area, between the roads C/ Regal, C/ Josep Martínez and C/ Antoni Rosselló i Nadal to the pedestrians. The new pedestrian area will have the following characteristics:

- A single pavement for both the roads and the sidewalk
- Restrict road traffic to the residents living in the area and to the delivery of goods and services
- Clear road markings to limit the restricted traffic lanes
- Limit the speed limit to 20 km/h

The project concerning the redesign of Plaça de San Francesc Xavier located in the La Soledat neighbourhood is based on a proposal made by the pupils of the La Soledat school in March 2008.

Five pupils of the La Soledat school met up with the mayoress of Palma in order to apply for the redesign of the square. They created and presented a scale model reflecting their ideas for the redesign of this area. Later on, the councillor of the Department for Infrastructures of the City Council of Palma, Francisco Donate, met up with the authors of the project in order to start working on the ideas suggested by the school's pupils.

The authors of the draft (all of them of different nationality) were pupils of 5th grade of primary education: Nikoleta Nikolaeva Nenkova (Bulgaria), Rasfiat Sule Onosipe (Nigeria), Iman Elyemlahy (Morocco), Franco Di Brino (Argentina) and Ayoub Lasgaa (Morocco).

On 20th March 2009, the City Council presented the proposal for the redesign of the square to the authors of the scale model, to the representatives of the AMPA parents' association, to the teachers as well as to the Neighbourhood Association.

The project developed by the City Council enhances the improvement of the adjacent roads. It suggests a continuous pavement along the entire area, without sidewalks, thereby unifying the road. It also plans a new square that comprises twice the existing surface. It envisages the restructuring of the parking spaces and the restricted traffic for residents of the area, with the objective of enhancing the area to the advantage of pedestrians, developing a new area aimed at encouraging the participation of the entire society. The project suggests the creation of terraces and benches that invite to leisure and to spend a pleasant moment, independently of the age and physical ability of the citizen; several games multisensory games in the children's playground and the integration of the school's sports track on the square for the use of the neighbours only after school hours.

Project for the implementation of a public bicycle system in Palma

The project consists in the realisation of works to adapt the road to the launch of an automatic public bicycle system that will also envisage the installation of the bicycle clamps, the centres to manage each station, the bicycles as well as the full equipment of the control centre, including the management and control software.

The creation of a bicycle network in Palma allows for the implementation of a public transport system by using the bicycle, as has been done in other cities within the country. In Palma, the public bicycle will be linked to the citizen card. Besides, the multimodal passenger transport system will be encouraged, i.e. those citizens combining the EMT bus with the bicycle will be able to use the bicycle for half an hour completely free of cost. Hence, the transfer between the EMT busses and the public bicycle will be possible. The project's budget amounts to 689,655.17 euros (VAT excluded) and will create employment for 12 people.

Improvement of the road safety at pedestrian crossings that are close to public buildings and to state schools as well as the security at precarious urban road traffic areas.

Works aimed at restructuring and improving the pedestrian crossings located nearby public buildings and state schools as well as precarious urban road traffic areas will be executed. The measures will consist in the elevation of the pedestrian crossings in order to reduce the speed of vehicles and create low-speed areas that will contribute to increasing the road safety of pedestrians and foster sustainable mobility. The project's budget amounts to 238,370.68 euros (VAT excluded) and will employ 8 people.

Provision and installation of information screens at the bus stops of the Municipal Transport Company of Palma (EMT)

The objective of this project is to increase the number of bus stops equipped with information screens that will provide the user with information on the waiting time and about any changes to the service. The project's budget amounts to 129,310 euros (VAT excluded) and the project will generate jobs for 4 people.

Improvement in the management of water resources, waste water and mobility

Several projects will be developed. The first project focuses on the improvement of the efficiency in the management of water treatment by means of separating the rainwater from the waste water in the La Vileta area (between C/ Matamusinos and Camí dels Reis). The budget for this project amounts to 1.6 million euros and will generate 36 jobs.

The second project focuses on measures comprising several areas on C/ Arxiduc Lluís Salvador aimed at improving the management of water resources, public street lighting and waste collection as well as extending the bicycle lane network. The implementation of these measures amounts to 2.2 million euros and will generate employment for 49 workers.

Besides, 2.6 million euros will be allocated to the restructuring of the drinking water network at the Camp Redó area.

A further project that has been approved is the development of nature schools in Palma for the creation of urban orchards.

The project, developed at the municipal tree nursery, will allow for the creation of urban orchards at Palma's five districts: Llevant (eastern district), Platja de Palma, centre, north and Ponent (western district).

Implementation of new technologies at the cleaning services.

Hardware and software systems will be provided for the creation of a data control and data processing centre for the sustainable management of the road cleaning services. Besides, a communication system will be implemented to geographically locate the cleaning vehicles in real-time, optimise their waste collection routes, inform about any incidents that may be encountered at waste containers and rubbish bins. Furthermore, the rubbish bins and the waste containers will be equipped with a system that detects and controls when rubbish bins are full. The system will then rapidly send an emptying order.

Restructuring of the Son Reus animal medical centre.

The purpose of these refurbishment works is to improve the sanitary conditions of the animal medical centre. For this purpose, the rooms will be separated according to the different animal species to be treated.

Further projects contained in the list of approved projects.

Modernisation of the Fire Brigade premises in the Platja de Palma area, new day centres, improvement measures carried out at the Municipal Archive, in libraries and exhibition centres (air-conditioning), improvement measures concerning the illumination, improvement measures carried out at school premises, among others.