Palma declares Pere Garau's Chinese New Year to be of municipal public interest.
The celebration, which will take place on February 2nd, combines Chinese and Mallorcan culture and consolidates a traditional event in the neighborhood
PalmThe Palma City Council has declared the celebration of the Chinese New Year in Pere Garau Park, to be of municipal public interest. The event will take place on February 22nd, starting at 11:00 AM. The program includes Chinese cuisine and the popular dragon dance, along with folk dancing and live music. Organized by the Chinese Association of the Balearic Islands (Achinib), the celebration will also feature traditional and cultural workshops, as well as children's activities.
At a press conference, the spokesperson for the Palma City Council's governing board, Mercedes Celeste, highlighted that the Chinese New Year celebration in Pere Garau "is already a tradition in Palma," having been held since 2016 and only interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Celeste emphasized that the Chinese population represents approximately 10 percent of the Balearic Islands' population, and that 43 percent of this percentage is concentrated in the Pere Garau neighborhood. "At the City Council, we believe this celebration has great value because it fosters mutual understanding and contributes to enriching our city," she stated. For her part, the Second Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Social Services and Equality, Lourdes Roca, explained that with the declaration of municipal interest, the City Council is promoting the festival's self-protection plan, security coordination, mobility coordination, and other municipal services. [BK_SLT_LNA] Tourist rental ban
Furthermore, the Palma City Council's governing board has approved modifications to the General Plan to prohibit the creation of new tourist rental units in all housing types, so that it can then be approved by the full council. "We are moving towards an absolute ban on tourist rentals," said Mercedes Celeste. As she explained, this step is essential to bring the ban on new units to the full council vote and make it effective. as announced a few days ago at the Urban Planning ManagementAccording to Celeste, from now on, vacation rental listings that are cancelled cannot be recovered.
"This measure not only eliminates the possibility of more listings, but will also allow tourist accommodations to gradually disappear in all types of housing," Celeste said.
Aging Program
Furthermore, the governing board has awarded the contract for the workshop services of the municipal healthy aging program 'Activa't' with an initial three-year contract and a maximum estimated cost of €805,250.16 (VAT included). The possibility of extending the contract for another two years has also been approved. The program, aimed at people over 60, seeks to promote active and healthy aging through physical exercise workshops and cognitive and psychosocial stimulation activities.
The board also approved the awarding of the contract for the project to improve the pavement and remove architectural barriers on the sidewalks of Gremi Ferrers Street, in the Son Castelló industrial park. The works, scheduled to begin this month, have a budget of €381,724 and a completion time of 12 weeks. In addition, the board also awarded the contract for the renovation of the Public Open Space (ELP) and connecting passageways to Mar Jònica Street, as part of the Les Maravelles neighborhood renewal plan.
Comprehensive Care Service for Gender Violence
Furthermore, the governing board has approved the contract for the Comprehensive Care Service for Gender Violence (SAIVM), an essential resource that offers comprehensive and coordinated support to women victims of gender violence, their children, and men who wish to begin processes to stop perpetrating violence. As Lourdes Roca explained, the new contract represents an increase of €489,000 in the annual budget, which will rise from €807,984 to €1,297,938 in 2026, an increase of 60%.