After a long journey through the desert of eight years in the opposition despite being the force with the most votes, Manu Reyes (PP) has recovered the mayoralty of Castelldefels, a position he already held between 2011 and 2015.
Did you consider throwing in the towel during your time in opposition?
Never. Throughout these eight years, the neighbors who trusted me encouraged me and made me clear.
It was very close to the absolute majority. He governs with SOM, a formation headed by a former socialist mayor. Will they understand each other?
Nico Cerpa has left the PSC and has created a new municipalist party. I respect that type of formations. I already agreed with a similar one in 2011. It was a great relationship. It will be the same.
What are the main challenges of this mandate?
Some are foreseeable and others are unexpected. We have found a hole of between eight and nine million euros in this year’s budget because the accounts are extended and there is a significant cut in the income chapter and an increase in expenses. The challenges already foreseen are cleaning, improving security, mobility, transport, parking, environmental protection and putting people at the center.
To a greater or lesser extent, the Castelldefels beach has always had a manta top. How will you approach this topic?
It has been modulating. When I was mayor there was much less. In recent years, the municipal government, instead of fighting it, has almost given it protection. It is not the path because a call effect is generated. This must be turned around with joint work between the local police, Mossos d’Esquadra and the National Police on the issue of foreigners.
Just a police approach?
It is that the way in which we can really attack is because of the issue that illegal products are being sold, counterfeits… It is total and absolute discrimination for those businesses that pay taxes and have difficulties.
Another unusual but recurring issue is dirty water spillage on the beach.
We are concerned about the fecal waters that end up contaminating natural areas such as the Olla del Rei and the beach. Time passes and the investments of the AMB and the ACA have not been made. We demand that they be done. There is another important phenomenon, in the part closest to Gavà there is a certain regression in the sand.
What do you think of the Aena project to expand the airport?
I haven’t seen it. If there are more flights, it is very likely that when there is an adverse weather situation we will have more planes over Castelldefels. If we are going to support more planes, the neighbors cannot be in favor. It is obvious. We are the municipality with the most affected population. I will defend the interests of my neighbors above any other interest and we will be radically against it.
And a greater connection between Catalan airports?
Looking at what large capitals, like London, do, we see that there are airports 50 kilometers away. Nobody considers landing near Piccadilly Circus, they land in Gatwick, Stansted or Luton. They have good intermodal and rail conditions. In 15 minutes you catch the Gatwick Express and you are at Victoria Station. Reus and Girona are close to the AVE. Why not use that intermodality and have certain flights go elsewhere?
Why did you vote to paralyze the modification of the PGM known as Green Axes?
The previous government presented a project that was not agreed upon where they intended to change the appearance of Castelldefels and which involved the serious threat of building approximately 4,000 homes touching or in the Garraf natural park. We don’t want to destroy the park. We do not have to enter into a metropolitan competition to see which city grows the most in number of inhabitants. We have 99% exhausted developable land.
Castelldefels is one of the cities with the most expensive rents. How to shield access to housing?
It is clear that the price is very expensive. But the housing solution must be metropolitan, it cannot be local. We must see where we can put more housing, and what needs to be improved is transportation and mobility to find an alternative at an affordable price. We have no more room. Castelldefels cannot be Benidorm with skyscrapers.
And from the local level what can be done?
Those plots that remain, we will see if public or public-private housing can be built. What we can do is see the stock that are not first homes that are closed and study whether there is a problem of legal certainty according to which the owners are afraid to rent them out for fear of illegal occupation.
