Marbella town hall approves 'historic' plan to improve sports facilities
The Costa del Sol town will see a 6.5-million-euro investment over the next five years in a programme that includes more than 30 projects before the end of 2025
Marbella town hall has approved an improvement plan for municipal sports facilities that includes more than thirty projects to be completed before the end of the year. The councillors for works, Diego López and sports, Lisandro Vieytes, have explained that "the aim is to modernise the facilities, reinforce safety and improve the experience of users in all the town's sports areas".
López added that the whole programme was "a historic investment", which foresees 6.5 million euros for Marbella and San Pedro Alcántara over five years (1.3 per year), and explained that most of the work this year will be concentrated in the Serrano Lima sports complex.
He specified that this equipment will include the renovation of the perimeter mats on the 11, seven and five-a-side football pitches, the installation of new seats in the stands, the installation of a scoreboard for the main pitch, as well as waterproofing the roof, repairing the access doors and interiors of the changing rooms and renovation of the parquet flooring in the pavilion.
He also pointed out that specific equipment will be installed for superleague volleyball and the swimming is set to get new podiums and turning plates, "consolidating an investment that reinforces the municipal commitment to sport and the modernisation of its facilities".
Paco Campos sports complex and Luis Teruel pitch
The Paco Cantos sports complex "will also undergo a major renovation with improvements aimed at modernising its spaces and offering greater comfort to users", according to López. The councillor has indicated that the work includes the replacement and installation of a new sports mesh on the tennis court, the installation of a grandstand with a capacity for 75 spectators, the installation of a sail awning in the public area and the addition of two table tennis tables, as well as the provision of mats in the climbing wall and the creation of a shaded area with floodlights. In addition, the indoor football, multi-sports and basketball courts will be painted, along with the installation of 20 new benches in the tennis and paddle tennis areas and a new cafeteria in the existing building.
At the Luis Teruel pitch in Arroyo Primero, work will be carried out to replace the gates to the toilets, the fencing of the walkway to the stands will be renewed and the outer enclosure will be repaired, a module will be installed for office space, the ball nets will be extended and the protective mats will be renewed. In addition, on pitch number one of the same facility, the ground in the access area to the bar will be repaired, a new scoreboard will be installed, new access gates to the pitch will be installed, as well as new protective gates and simple twist fencing behind the east end of the pitch.
El Angel sports track
Vieytes added that the work to be carried out as a whole "is aimed at guaranteeing safer, more accessible and modern spaces, for the benefit of both local clubs and sportspeople and the citizens as a whole". He pointed out that the El Ángel sports track will undergo a complete refurbishment, "with the aim of guaranteeing that it is ready for use and offering a renovated and functional space for the residents".
He said the work is aimed at "providing greater comfort and facilities for users, in a global project that reinforces the municipal commitment to grassroots sport and the improvement of public facilities". He went on to say, "Since the beginning of the legislature, we have set ourselves the goal of updating, maintaining and modernising the existing sports facilities, as well as creating new ones."
Other facilities
Similarly, he has indicated that in the Vigil de Quiñones complex, on the Carlos Sánchez Navarro pitch, repairs to the scoreboard on the 11-a-side football pitch and the renovation of the interior doors in the toilets are planned. The Carlos Cabeza pavilion will undergo repair work on leaks in the concierge area and twelve basket hoops will be supplied, eight flexible and four solid. In the Rafael Vera Sports Centre, sports machinery will be repaired and signage will be updated.
"This is not a closed list, other work will be added depending on the needs of the sports calendar or those presented by local clubs and athletes"
"As a whole, this plan will strengthen the network of municipal sports facilities with more than thirty planned actions, although it is not a closed list, but others will be added depending on the needs that may arise due to the ordinary development of the town's sports calendar or the needs presented by local clubs and athletes," said the councillor.
Not only major sporting events
He also pointed out that another aspect to bear in mind is that this is a five-year plan, which means that investments will continue to be made in these facilities over the coming years. He said that "many of the actions to be carried out over the remainder of the year arise from the regular meetings we hold with the different clubs and sportspeople who use the facilities, contact which is very important in order to continue improving them".
He also stated that "we are always working to hold major sporting events in our town that continue to consolidate Marbella as a destination both in this field and as a top-level tourist destination, as has happened this year, but we are also making a historic investment in the updating and maintenance of sports facilities throughout the municipality".
