Rubbish collection costs, answers to protests

SAN ROQUE / Sotogrande Residents of the luxury resort in San Roque have been complaining recently about a considerable rise in their rubbish collection bills. The reasons for it are set out in a pres release by the Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campor de Gibraltar, which owns the company that carries it out, ARCGISA. The protests include places that are in th Sotogrande area: Pueblo Nuevo, Torreguadiaro, Guadiaro and San Enrique. According to the press release, these, plus the resort, generate 42.23% of the municipality's rubbish, and use 51.45% of the resources available to the company. There is more, however. Until ARCGISA took over, the municipality of San Roque did not charge for rubbich collection at all, which does not mean, says Mancomunidad, that there was no cost involved.>>>

Naturally, when the company took over, charges were set according to the type of service a home needed: door to door collection, surface or underground containers, etc., and whether or not it had a garden.

Each village, or 'barrio', has its own problems. Hence, most of Sotogrande needs container service, which is cheaper than going door to door, if only because of the time involved (one container can do the job of 16 door to door services). In Pueblo Nuevo or Guadiaro, for instance, there are streets that can only be served door to door. Nevertheless, prices have been worked out on the averages and thus come up with a number that is approximately the same for all.

In any case, says the communiqué, all officially presented protests have been resolved, positively or negatively according to each case, with explanations and allegations reported, considered and decided upon. A full report on the matter can be obtained at the Mancomunidad office at Calle Cooperativa, in San Enrique de Gaudiaro.