Edition 196
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Friday 21st November 2014
MARKET MOVERS CALL TO SWITCH PLAYA FLAMENCA TRADERS By TONY MAYES
Playa Flamenca resident Barbara Slater wants the Orihuela council to move the weekly Saturday mar ket because of fears over emer gency access. She’s launched a petition calling for the resiting of the market to a nonresidential area. Ever since the market started on Calle Nicholas de Bussi, Mrs.Slater claims that local resi dents have been worried about traders’ stalls blocking entrance ways to houses, which could prove disastrous if there was a fire or someone was taken ill. "It wouldn´t be so bad if the stalls were sited so that all access roads were kept clear for emergency vehicles, but this is not the case," said Mrs. Slater. Her suggestion is that the market is switched to off the road leading from the Playa Flamenca Commercial Centre where there is no hous
ing, and aims to get several hundred signa tures to a petition which already has more than 100 names on it. Mrs. Slater continued: "A few years ago someone was taken seriously ill on our urbanisation on a Saturday morning and it took a long time for the ambulance to arrive. Sadly the person died. If there was an emergency, firstly police would have to remove barriers at the entrance to the market, and then they would have to get shoppers out of the way as well as getting traders to partially dismantle stalls to get access to a house.” "All this would take time and we all know how vital seconds can mean the difference between life and death when it comes to someone suffering a heart attack or stroke. There are hundreds of people living along the market road and roads lead ing off of it. Clearly it isn´t rocket science to see that this road is not the most suitable for a mar ket. Actually the only thing going for it is that it is wide." Mrs. Slater is also petitioning to get better toilet facilities for traders, who, she says, regular ly use the walkways leading off rather than use the "absolutely disgusting" toilets half way up Calle Nicholas de Bussi.
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