Candelaria Secures €10.7M EU Funding for Major Urban & Environmental Projects
Candelaria City Council announced an over €10.7 million investment, 85% EU-funded, for 15 projects including urban regeneration, a new wastewater treatment plant, and environmental improvements.
The Candelaria City Council has announced a major investment of over 10.7 million euros. The European Union will provide 9.1 million euros, covering 85% of the total cost. This funding will support 15 projects, including several key initiatives. Among these are the redevelopment of Rubens Marichal, the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant in Barranco Hondo, the restoration of the Camino Viejo de la Virgen, and environmental improvements in the Chacorche area.
For the Rubens Marichal project, more than six million euros will be spent. This includes 4.5 million euros to upgrade basic infrastructure, over 1.5 million euros to create an urban park, and 585,000 euros for work on municipal spaces.
These projects are organized around four main areas. One is urban regeneration, which includes the Rubens Marichal work. Another is territorial integration and connectivity, where nearly one million euros will go towards improving the On-Demand Transport service and introducing digital systems. This area also covers the 375,000-euro restoration of the Camino Viejo and the Safe School Path project for CEIP de Igueste, budgeted at 221,611 euros, which aims to make routes safer and more accessible for students.
In the area of climate adaptation and sustainability, the City Council plans to build a wastewater treatment plant in Barranco Hondo, a crucial project for improving wastewater management, costing 3.5 million euros. Other efforts include managing stormwater to prevent floods and restoring the Barranco de Chacorche area, with 1,190,000 euros allocated for environmental recovery.
Finally, the local revitalization area focuses on boosting the local economy and cultural heritage. Initiatives here include strengthening local food through the Local Product Club (90,000 euros), creating historical routes and new signs (135,000 euros), setting up a center for economic initiatives (590,000 euros), and digitizing the Camino Viejo to promote it as a tourist and cultural attraction.
Mayor Mari Brito highlighted that this investment is "the result of continuous work in project planning and execution over recent years." She added that the grant will allow Candelaria to "continue building the Candelaria we want." The mayor explained that once the grant is finalized, an intensive period of work will begin to implement each project, with a commitment to meet deadlines and address local needs.
The Candelaria City Council believes this extensive investment package will not only improve infrastructure and public services but also promote a more sustainable, connected, and well-being-focused model for the town's residents.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2021-2027 will finance 85% of these initiatives through a grant from the Directorate-General for European Funds. The remaining 15% will come from municipal funds.