Almuñécar town hall introduces more trees, pergolas and shelters to provide more shade

The mayor of Almuñécar, Juan José Ruiz Joya, has said that “when summer arrives, we know what the heat is like in Almuñécar and La Herradura, particularly at certain times of day. That is why we are trying to ensure there are more and more places where people can stop, sit down and enjoy the shade”.

Ruiz Joya pointed out that “this doesn’t happen overnight. A tree needs time to grow, but there are measures we are already taking, such as installing pergolas, planting new trees or restoring trees that are already of a considerable size”.

The councillor for parks and gardens, Carlos Ferrón, explained that work is being carried out to plant new trees and on the conservation of existing trees. “We are trying to make the most of every space we have to create more shade. Sometimes this involves planting a tree, other times erecting a pergola and at other times restoring a tree we already have that is worth preserving,” he said.

Ferrón explained that work is also under way to bring Almuñécar into the Red Andaluza de Refugios Climáticos, with the aim of continuing to make progress in identifying and improving these spaces. “The idea is to keep adding more sites so that when the heat arrives, we’ll have more and more options, whether that’s trees and green spaces or pergolas and other shaded areas."

He went on to say, “We approved an investment of 40,000 euros in the council meeting to install more shade structures, and the contract for this project will be put out to tender shortly."

 Centuries-old olive trees, new trees and pergolas 

One example is Plaza Marruecos, where a green pergola has been installed featuring passion flowers, a climbing plant that will gradually cover the structure and provide shade.

Work is also being carried out on the larger trees. Centuries-old olive trees have been moved to the Pozuelo park and a further 20 trees have been moved to the Mediterranean park. In this way, these trees have been preserved and will continue to provide shade in their new locations.

“These are trees that have already grown to a considerable size and if we can move them and give them a new home, we will be preserving a heritage that will also provide us with shade for many years to come,” said Ferrón.

Schools are also gaining more trees. At La Noria primary school around a dozen trees have been planted across the playground, while at La Antigua school, two orange trees have been planted next to the sports pitch, joining the large tree that already provides shade in this area. “They’re small now, but we want children to be able to sit under those trees in a few years’ time,” explained Ferrón.

La Antigua, Río Verde and Santa Cruz sports facilities already have enclosed areas and thetown hall is working to ensure that La Noria and Las Gaviotas in La Herradura can also be included. In the Puerta del Mar playground, the ficus trees that have been planted are already beginning to provide shade for the benches situated beneath their canopies. In Empedraillo Park, in La Carrera, three trees have also been planted, complementing the pergolas already installed in the park.

 More shade on the streets  

Shade is also becoming an increasingly important factor when choosing the trees for certain streets. On Calle Granada, orange trees have been planted to replace the existing palm trees, with the aim of the new trees providing more shade for this pedestrian area once they have grown larger.

The same approach will soon be applied on Calle Torres Quevedo, where trees are due to be planted along the final section of the street, next to Picado Square. “We’re also changing our approach to street trees slightly. We don’t want trees to be there simply because they look nice; rather, wherever possible, we want them to provide shade and make the walk more pleasant for people,” added Ferrón.

 Pergolas, awnings and other shelters 

Among the projects carried out or planned are the pavilion at Las Gaviotas primary school; the pergola in Santa Cruz; the awning in Torrecuevas; the pergolas in Río Verde, La Antigua and San Miguel; the replacement of the pergola at the senior citizens’ centre; the pergola at the Reina Sofía nursery school; the awning at the La Carrera nursery school; the pergolas at the taxi rank and the bus station and the pergolas at the Empedraillo children’s playground. These features provide shade while the newly planted trees continue to grow.

The project is being rounded off with the installation of air-conditioning systems currently underway in schools and municipal facilities. Furthermore, on the hottest days, adjustments are made to the work schedules of local authority staff carrying out outdoor tasks, such as gardeners, bricklayers and painters.

During these periods, priority is given to work in shaded green spaces, such as El Majuelo, La Najarra, La Carrera, the Loro Sexi bird park, Plaza Marruecos, Paseo Blas Infante and the tree-lined areas of children’s playgrounds. Maintenance teams also make the most of these days to carry out work inside municipal buildings.