For Community Information:-

 

Energy Performance Certificates or Certificado de Eficiencia Energetica (CEE) will become mandatory for properties that are listed for sale or available to rent from the 1st June 2013.

Please go to the following link for more information

http://www.lanzaroteinformation.com/content/properties-sale-or-rent-spain-will-need-epc-cee-june-2013

The Committee is looking for old photos of Playa Bastian, especially before the1990's. If anyone has old photos in their possession the committee would love to hear from you. Please email committee@playabastian.com. it is hoped that a "History of Playa Bastian" web page will be created, but this will only happen with your help, so get searching !!

A campaign to explain how British citizens in Spain should use UK-issued European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) has been launched by the UK Department of Health and the Valencia Health Authority.

 

Click here for further information

Statistics provided for tourists visiting Lanzarote help us to determine the fact from the fiction. How many of you have heard comments such as, the tourists might be coming but they’re not spending or that all inclusive is killing the island? The statistics reported show that the total spend for the year is down by 2.5% compared to last year and we already know the arrivals are down by 2.4% year to date, ASOLAN report occupancy down by 9.92%.
The figures are out for the first six months of 2012, the total spend is down compared to last year but only by 2.5%. January to June was a total of 977,968 Euros in 2011 and 953,985 Euros in 2012.
It is also possible to breakdown the spending money by country, again taking the figure of 155,956 for June, the UK are top with 75,004 which is down 1.3% relating to 2011. Spain is the 2nd country spending the most here with 25,442 which is down by 5.6% to the previous year and 3rd is Germany with 19,416 a drop of 5.2%. Ireland is in 4th position with 17,709 and a drop of 3.7% to 2011.
We know from the YTD arrival figures for 2012 that visitors to the island have dropped by 2.4% compared to 2011. The number of German tourists have fallen by 11% and Spanish 3.8% which explains the drop in that countries spend. These statistics are provided from ISTAC Frontur Canarias and relate to tourists who arrived via the airport.
The following occupancy figures are provided by ASOLAN, the breakdown does give each month for different accommodation levels in these areas, we’ve taken the six month average from January to June 2012.
3* & 4* Apartments are top for occupancy in Costa Teguise with 79.15%, followed by 3* hotels at 73.53% and 4* hotels at 71.01%. 1* & 2* Apartments are 69.92% occupied, 5* hotels have the lowest occupancy with 49.83%.
The Island average occupancy figure for 2012 over the first six months of the year was 72.51% compared to 82.43% for the same period last year, a difference of 9.92%. The shortfall of occupancy was recorded in February, March & April. The months of January, May and June were higher than 2011.
You can read these figures in two ways - everything is down compared to 2011 or in a more positive light - we have a small drop in arrivals of (2.4%) which in turn means less income for businesses on the island (2.5%). It also looks like there’s been a shift in tourists who have booked self catering private accommodation, as the drop in arrival figures doesn’t correlate with the 9.92% drop from the number of official beds.

Finally, after years of speculation the promenade around Playa Las Cucharas in Costa Teguise will be refurbished in the near future.

Local companies have been invited to submit their tenders for the project which has a valuation of €544,273 and a deadline of eight months to complete the work.

The announcement is fantastic news for businesses situated along the paseo marítimo in Costa Teguise, particularly along the right hand side of the beach where the surface of the pavement has disintegrated to such a point that it’s not safe to walk in the dark for fear of tripping. The work had been outlined in the budgets since 2010 but not implemented.

The current Doctors surgery at C.C Los Charcos is too small for the increasing population, so the Servicio de Salud has agreed that a new Surgery can be built on Calle Folia between the C.C Teguise Greens shopping centre and the new Costa Teguise secondary school which is under construction. It is expected to have 2 floors and a basement car park. The budget has been allocated for 2012,and the next stage is to assign the project so the work can commence.

Following the initial delay due to several mindless acts of vandalism the trial ‘Dusk to Dawn’ Owners Only Access began recently. As reported in the last newsletter and Brian Purdue’s Presidents report in January, this is an overall Playa Bastian – Plot 222 trial, which includes owners of Zones B and C as well as ourselves.

The hours when access is allowed for ‘Owners Only’ are 21:00 to 08:00 (9pm to 8am) which are clearly displayed in Red, on large multilingual signs, on both sides of the gate wall.

 

For full details, please see the article in the Forum

Earlier this month our application to remove more Palm trees considered in a dangerous state was accepted and licences granted. Whilst the trees affected are not of the officially protected variety, it is still prudent to follow the rules for removal and appoint a licenced tree surgeon to do the job. Other than a couple of Palms that are affecting property walls and possibly pipe work and drains, there are no plans for further removals at this time

The old TV receivers in the Control Room have been replaced with new HD Boxes. Along with the changes to the cable system and retuning of some amplifiers this should give a much stronger signal and improved reception. Of course, Mother Nature will always have the last say and no doubt the changes will be tested to the full at her whim! In any case, the system is now much more ‘robust’ than it used to be and should withstand occasional rigorous weather better

Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water, they’re back! Playa Bastian beach was again closed for swimming during the last few weeks as the plague of Jellyfish returned.

A recent report points out that they normally live offshore in the ocean but at certain times of year the current and wind can bring them to the Canary Islands, especially during January & February when the prevailing trade winds are week and variable. A rise in sea temperature brought about by climate change also encourages the growth of plankton the food source for jellyfish. Historically plagues of jellyfish appear more frequently during dry years than wet ones, the ‘barrancos’ take our rain water into the sea creating a natural barrier along the coast otherwise the current brings the jellyfish to the beaches. Another important factor is the declining population of sea turtles and large pelagic fish who feed on the jellyfish.

The consortium responsible for the report are now studying preventative measures that could be taken to deter the jellies from our islands.

2012 marks the tenth consecutive year that Lanzarote have won the award for the best sun and beach destination from Ireland!

The finalists for the category “Best Winter Sun Destination” were Florida, Dubai, Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote. The award given by the Irish Travel Industry was presented during Holiday World Show, the most important Irish Tourism Fair which was held in Belfast from 20th to 22nd and Dublin from the 27th  to 29th January 2012.
Lanzarote was also shortlisted as a finalist for the Best Summer Sun Destination along with Algarve, Majorca, Salou and Turkey.

The Ferrari F1 team have been in Lanzarote this week for some intensive training.

Drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have been based at the sports complex of Club La Santa along with test drivers Jules Bianchi and Davide Rigon, the 25 strong team include their sports and support staff too. This is their pre season training prior to the official launch of their new car at Ferrari’s own Fiorano test track on the 3rd February.

The presence on Lanzarote of a double world champion and one of the sports most famous and respected teams is a huge PR opportunity as Lanzarote seeks to become known as the Island of sports tourism.

Normally in the Canary Islands we have heavy downpours during the winter months of December to February. This year we are at the end of January and still waiting……The recent alert is actually for the lack of rainfall! The Canary Islands are extremely dry after a lack of rainfall in December, particularly affecting Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. Although less rainfall in Lanzarote is great for tourism, it is bad for local agriculture. We only receive an average of 125 – 150 mm rainfall a year. December is normally the wettest month followed by January, then November, February and March. It seems like the prediction of above average temperatures was correct for autumn. Looking back to our previous winter 2010 / 2011 December was the warmest month recorded for the past 50 years and the 3rd driest of the decade. This beautiful winter weather resulted in a poor grape harvest in 2011 though.

The programme has been released by the Ayuntamiento's Department of Celebrations for the carnivals within the Teguise municipality of Lanzarote for 2012. Provisional dates are:

Sunday February 26th - Fancy dress costume competition with your pet

Thursday 1st March - Traditional Canarian carnival in La Villa de Teguise

Friday 2nd March - International carnival event in Costa Teguise, and Cuban Concert in Costa Teguise

Saturday 3rd March - Carnival workshops for children in Costa Teguise, Carnival parade in Costa Teguise, Verbena party (night time) in front of Pueblo Marinero in Costa Teguise

Sunday 4th March - Carnival procession for the market in La Villa de Teguise, andVerbena party (daytime) at Plaza de la Constitución in La Villa de Teguise

Zumba Lanzarote are holding a Zumbathon charity event on Friday 10th February.

The hour and a half Zumbathon session will be held at the Hesperia Lanzarote Hotel in Puerto Calero. Tickets cost €7 with all proceeds going to a local Breast Cancer organisation in Lanzarote. This Zumba masterclass includes 25 Zumba songs with guest instructors during the 90 minutes. The bar will be open and there are some great prizes to be won in the raffle. Cava & canapés will be served on arrival at 7.30pm. As this is for breast cancer, don't forget to wear pink!
Please contact Lesley from Zumba Lanzarote as soon as possible to confirm your place, tickets are already on sale and going fast.

The Spanish classes will start on the 1st February at the former Escuela de Hostelería on Calle Rafael Alberti in Tahíche, students will be divided into small groups of basic and intermediate levels. These courses includes three to four hours per week over four months until 28th May 2012.
The project is aimed mainly at adults to help them integrate into the local community. Beginners will learn the basics with an emphasis on local culture, where as intermediates will have more practical help such as writing a CV, describing health issues to a doctor, paperwork at the council etc.

Basic classes are Monday & Wednesday from 16:00 – 18:00. Price €60 per month
Intermediate classes are Monday & Wednesday from 18:00 – 19:30. Price €45 per month
The teacher will be Alexandra Arteta who also speaks English and German.
For more information or to enrol please either telephone 928 84 50 01 ext 240 or email: cursoespanolteguise@gmail.com

The beaches of Costa Teguise were closed to swimmers on Saturday. Initially swimming was prohibited on Playa de Las Cucharas, when the presence of jellyfish (aguavivas) was discovered. The red flag was raised following established procedures by Cruz Roja Lanzarote (Red Cross). Later in the afternoon the warning was extended to all of the beaches within that resort. Officials confirmed that when the tide had gone out, local services would remove any jellyfish left stranded behind on the beach . The action taken by Cruz Roja and Seguridad, and Health and Environment Dept of Teguise was a precautionary measure to avoid swimmers getting stung.

I am sorry to announce that Mrs Christine Olley has resigned from the Administration Board of Zone D because of personal and professional commitments.

I would like to thank Christine for the valuable contribution that she made to our work this year.

I have decided not to appoint a temporary member on this occasion because we are relatively close to the end of our Financial Year.

 

 

Brian Purdue,  President Zone D

 

 

Further to the recently reported increase in occupancy figures, it has also been confirmed that the number of German tourists that arrived in Lanzarote during September has increased to 22,326, an increase of 16.12% more than the same month in 2010. The total number of passengers arriving at Arrecife airport has risen to 143,611, which is 21,389 more people representing an increase of 17.50% than September of last year. Also, this means that Lanzarote is still a favourite amongst the German market and ahead of the rest of the Canary Islands, for the 8th consecutive year.

Establishments on Lanzarote have achieved occupancy levels exceeding 85.15% average during September, the second highest total in the nine months of 2011. This follows on from the last monthly study by ASOLAN, the Lanzarote Tourism Employers Association. In September 2011, Hotel occupancy on the Island increased, on average, by more than 15% above the level achieved in September 2010.
By segment, 4-star Hotels exceeded 89.86%, followed by Apartments, with an average of 85.01% and Aparthotels, with a level of 85.42%.
The six luxury 5-star Hotels recorded an occupancy rate of 73.13%. With these figures, September became the second best month of 2011 behind August with an average of 87.04%, and July, with 83.65%.
The President of ASOLAN, Susana Pérez, confirmed that the data shows a positive recovery of tourism in Lanzarote and the Canaries.

This latest earthquake in El Hierro has reached a magnitude of 3.8 on the Richter scale, the highest on record. The quake occurred at 10:12 hours0n 29/9/11and the epicentre was located 15 Km deep in La Frontera. It was also felt in El Golfo, La Restinga and Valverde.

El Hierro is now preparing for a mass evacuation because of a possible volcanic eruption. Experts have recorded 150 tremors on El Hierro, the smallest of the Canary Islands, since yesterday - raising fears of an imminent eruption.

Last night 53 people were ordered out of their homes over fears of landslides and the army has been called in to prepare for a possible evacuation. Schools on the tiny island, home to 10,000 people, have been closed and a tunnel linking the two main towns - Frontera and Valverde - has been shut.

Volcano expert Juan Carlos Carrecedo said: 'There is a ball of magma rising to the surface producing a series of ruptures which generate seismic activity. 'We don't know if that ball of magma will break through the crust and cause an eruption.'

But he warned an eruption was possible 'in days, weeks or months'.

 

In the early hours of sunday 4th September, a car belonging to one of the residents of Playa bastian was vandalised. Both drivers side windows were smashed leaving glass scattered all over the access road. The Guardia Civil said that this was not an isolated incident and that seven other vehicles had been vandalised around the area that night. Although there had been groups of people making a lot of noise as they came up from the beach area in the early hours, no one heard the act of vandalism.

The security camera footage from the site was being eaximined by the Guardia Civil as part of their ongoing investigation.

The Canarian Government has announced plans to renovate the long distance walking paths on the island.
The announcement was made by the Director General for Sustainable Development of Rural Areas and the Cabildo of Lanzarote. The footpaths mentioned are the GR 131 and the GR 135 which are the central and perimeter paths in Lanzarote. Plans include adding shelters and viewpoints along the routes highlighting Lanzarote’s landscape and heritage.
The GR 131, 69km long, runs from the North to the South of the Lanzarote through the centre of the island. The GR 135 is 176 km long, and is a path around the perimeter of Lanzarote passing along the coastline through the different municipalities up to the edge of the Timanfaya National Park.

The water supply will be turned off on Zone D from 10:00am till 12:00pm on Thursday 31st March whilst pressure testing for leaks on site is carried out. Brian and the team are working to methodically isolate as many leaks as possible with minimal disruption. Please let any guests and neighbours know if you can, thank you.

Treatment of the harmless black algae in the Bar Bastian pool is having some effect. We hope to see further reductions over the coming months The recent extensive works to repair damaged sewers and drains, provided the opportunity to replace another section of our water supply. Several properties also had their water meters relocated outside of their extended patios. There are many examples of property extensions where the pipework has been buried underneath, and access has been lost.This emphasises the need to contact the President before starting any work on a property. The heat pumps have finally arrived from las Palmas, and have been installed. Both pumps are now in operation, and should be up to temperature early next week. Despite their busy workload, Miguel and his team have continued to repair footpaths and manholes, replacing the old metal type with plastic. For more information on these topics, please see the Forum "Work in Progress" section which has been recently updated.

The Canary Islands received 932,699 foreign passengers to the islands during the month of February which is the best result in the past 15 years!
The figures are up 22.42% against last year with 170,800 more passengers recorded by Aena (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea), which is fantastic news for the Canary Islands tourism industry.
The breakdown of four larger islands arrivals figures for the month of February and year to date with a comparison % compared to 2010 showed:

Gran Canaria: 289,573 18.72% February, 575,351 15.66% YTD
Tenerife: 332,694 19.45% February,  651,977 13.09% YTD
Lanzarote: 143,685 16.27% February, 267,367 11.45% YTD
Fuerteventura: 155,799 47.32% February, 285,171 40.57% YTD
All of the four islands are showing positive increases with the most significant for Fuerteventura with 40.57% increase on 2010 for January and February 2011. President Paulino Rivero said that he expects these significant results from the tourism sector to transfer to employment. The increase of German tourists was noticeable on the results for Lanzarote with an increase of 24% during the month of February 2011.
The figures only confirm what we’ve experienced on the island over the past couple of months, troubles in other countries have led to tourists rebooking their winter sun holidays to Lanzarote and the Canary Islands. We are considered a very safe destination coupled with the fact that we’ve enjoyed fantastic winter weather.

This is the latest News Update in brief. For further details please log onto the forum.

We are now very close to having had all the Palms pruned and debris cleared under the new agreement.

Manhole covers are a continual issue across Zone D. Over the years they crack, break or lift due to the rusting of the now old original frames they sit in. Miguel and his team have been concentrating on replacement in between their gardening duties.

A new ADSL line has been installed in Reception which also provides a Wi-Fi facility for Zone D owners. Please see Luis for access details.

....and finally, it seems there are still some people who either still do not know - or just don't care, that the domestic basura area is NOT for building rubble. It is the responsibility of the owner having the work done and their appointed builder, to dispose of this in the proper manner.

White Bengal Tiger born at Rancho Texas! A female White Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) was born at Rancho Texas on the 18th of October and will be on display from the 11th of November. The Tiger is the first of its kind to be born in the Canary Islands.

Good news! The number of foreign tourists arriving on flights to Lanzarote rose again last month by 29.28%, according to the latest figures just released by the Spanish airport authority AENA.

The upturn in arrivals experienced across the summer months continued, outperforming September 2008 figures as well as those of 2009. The UK, Lanzarote´s largest and most important market by some distance, continues to lead the way with arrivals climbing by 48.2% last month to 77,281 tourists, a figure which is also up on September 2008 by 27.5%.

British tourist arrivals are now up by 20.56% for the year to date versus the same nine month period last year

Ray Edwards, a Zone D Community Member and the Chairman of Limbcare, together with a team of friends and fellow amputees are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, which at 5,895 metres is one of the world’s highest freestanding mountains, during a seven-day hike in September. Ray is hoping the challenge will help raise awareness of amputees as well as funds for his recently founded charity. Through the aide of three prosthetic and one hi-tech I-limb, Ray has previously completed the Wokingham Bikeathon and piloted a plane. He and the 24-man team, which includes physiotherapists, doctors and six other amputees,jetted out to Africa in early September to begin the hike on September 7, before descending seven days later. By following the link to Ray's Website you can follow their progress by reading his journal and learning about the route he is taking, as he makes the long, hard climb up Mount Kilimanjaro and journeys all the way back down again. We all wish Ray and his Team a successful and safe ascent and descent and hope as many people as possible will give their support by making a donation. http://www.limbcare.org/further-information/useful-contacts/

ADMINISTRATOR HOLIDAY
Jero and Elena from Acuna Associates, our Administrators, were on holiday for the whole of August, returning on 6th September.  During the time they were away it seems that there were some problems with the telephone/contact system which has been an issue for a number of owners.  I have been in touch with Jero to resolve the issue and apologise to those owners this has inconvenienced.

SEWERS/DRAINAGE SYSTEM
There have been several problems with the sewer system on site for the last few months.  During July and August this was made worse by the much higher occupancy.  Problems occurred in several locations including the area adjoining Casas Verde, around the middle pool area and at the rear of Bar Bastian.  This has been the worst incidence by far in recent years and has taken many man-hours to fix, and there is still some repair work to do.
The reasons for blockage include disposable nappies, baby wipes, non toilet type tissues, plastic bags, other unmentionable items and even tin foil!  Our gardeners have spent many hours cleaning out manholes and unblocking drains, an extremely unpleasant task at the best of times.
PLEASE will owners ensure that visitors or guests know that ONLY toilet tissue should be flushed; anything else should be tied in a plastic bag and placed in the skips.

GARDENING BACKLOG
Because of the major sewage problems and staff holidays, I recognise that general gardening and tidying work has suffered considerably this summer.  Our Head Gardener, Miguel is on holiday in September but his team, Javier and Todao will be concentrating on catching up with the backlog. 

The popular annual Costa Musica festival, which takes place each September in Costa Teguise, is to be cancelled this year due to lack of both private and public funding. An official at Teguise Ayuntamiento, Juan Pedro Hernandez, yesterday confirmed that the ongoing effects of the economic crisis have eroded budget available for the event.

The festival has been running for four years already and has proved to be an extremely well attended event. In the past, it has run over three days, normally the final weekend of September, with three separate stages in and around the Playa Bastian beach area of Costa Teguise. A spokesman for the Ayuntamiento stated that whilst it was ‘not the right moment for this type of festival’ there was every likelihood that there will be future editions, once the economic situation has improved.

This news is bound to be welcomed by many residents of Playa Bastian, who have complained in the past about the noise created by having the festival staged on their doorstep.

The Playa Bastian Zone D Spring/Summer Newsletter is now available in the Official Notices section. It contains information regarding Finances, the latest on the ENDESA/UNELCO situation, work being done around Zone D and much more. Copies will be distributed by post in the next few days.

The Mancomunidad de Propietarios Plot 222 - Playa Bastian has issued a notice regarding Electrical Bulletins for all properties on Playa Bastian. As the properties are now over 25 years old, should an owner wish to sell their property, Endesa/Unelco will not re-issue a Contract to the new owner unless they have an Electrical Bulletin. In future, purchasers Solicitors will insist on a bulletin - consequently, properties that have a bulletin will be easier to sell. The electrical work involved to bring the property up to date, to obtain a bulletin, is: -
• Change all of the current circuit breakers, and
• Increase the number of circuits from 4 to 6.
• Upgrade the main power cable from the meter to the circuit board.
If a property has its supply disconnected for, whatever reason, they will need a new bulletin to reconnect – this could take up to three weeks to organise! None of the properties were designed to cope with the plethora of modern electrical appliances that most units now boast. All of the circuit breakers have a maximum life span of 20 years and should be changed for safety reasons anyway. For more details about the work involved and how to obtain a quotation for the work, please see the Official Notices Section.

The Minister of Tourism of the Government of the Canary Islands, Rita Martin, and the Mayor of Teguise, Juan Pedro Hernandez, signed a €482,000 agreement for the improvement of parks and public spaces on the Avenue El Jablillo in Costa Teguise. This project is included in the Improvement Plan Strategy for Tourists Public Space. Both representatives initialed the agreement at the municipal office in Costa Teguise, as reported by the City Council through a statement.
This project, which begins this week, will last nine months. This initiative will involve making up a section of the avenue The Jablillo. The Minister of Tourism has stated that the objective of this work is to improve the pavement, by changing to Lanzarote basalt stone, the same stone used in walkways. It will also put an irrigation system, landscaping, and decorative natural stone also from Lanzarote.
Rita Martin explained that the action is part of the Emergency Plan Tourist Zone, launched by the Ministry of Tourism of the Government of the Canary Islands. The aim of the project, according to the adviser, is "to energize and beautify this important tourist center for the Canary Islands."