La Línea mayor offers 'dialogue' to Chief Minister

GIBRALTAR/LA LÍNEA (GibChronicle and Agencies) La Línea Mayor Alejandro Sánchez has offered to open a channel of dialogue with Chief Minister Peter Caruana to work together on environmental matters affecting both communities. Sr Sanchez made his statement in response to Mr Caruana’s New Year message for 2011 where he blamed La Linea’s storm drains for the sewage contamination affecting Western Beach.  The Mayor proposes the setting up of a cross-border commission to tackle “the historical problems affecting the Gibraltar, La Linea and Campo coastline, as a result of the spillages produced by bunkering activities (photo) and other maritime accidents.” >

Sr Sanchez would also bring to the table what he describes as “the controversial land reclamation projects” to determine their environmental impact to both sides.

In the meantime, the Secretary General of the local PSOE, Gemma Araujo, who is also a mayoral candidate in La Línea, said she was pleased about what she considered a 'backtrack' by Mayor Alejandro Sánchez on his policies about Gibraltar. She added that, if she wins at this March's municipal elections, one of the first things she will do is to meet withChief Minister Peter Caruana, "to talk about the working and social conditions of La Línea people working on the Rock" and to "unblock2 the sale of land for the airport. However, the PP's spokesperson, Teresa García Mellado, accuses Araujo of a lack of knowledge regarding these subjects.