Two services the south still needs
In Benalúa and the southern neighbourhoods, we still need a day centre for people who need care and a community centre where we can meet and organise activities. The courts’ move to the new complex on Avenida de Aguilera opens up the possibility of using Benalúa’s former prison for these services. We are calling on Alicante City Council and the Valencian government to agree on the building’s future before the courts leave.
On 4 November, the Federation of Neighbourhood Associations of Southern Alicante (FAVSA) filed a formal request with the city council, addressed to the mayor’s office and the departments for Urban Planning, Social Welfare and Citizen Participation. The federation said that day that it had also submitted a request to the Valencian Justice Department. The request sets out the needs of Benalúa, Gran Vía Sur, Miguel Hernández, Princesa Mercedes, San Blas and the rest of the south.
What we are asking each authority to do
- Alicante City Council. Urge the Valencian government to keep the building in use during the transition and work towards the agreements needed to refurbish it. We ask the council to open a municipal community centre with space for local groups, cultural activities and young people.
- The Valencian government. Protect the courthouse and arrange for it to be transferred to Social Services so it can house a publicly run day centre. We are asking for care close to home for older people and others who need support, including people with disabilities or acquired brain injuries who need this service.
We are calling for both authorities to agree on a timetable that links the move with the refurbishment and keeps the building in good condition during the transition. The former Benalúa care home, just a few metres away, shows why we are concerned about a historic building being left empty. We have also called for that building to be used for community services.
The Justice Department plans to keep the courthouse in judicial use
The federation’s request puts the floor area of the new complex at around 47,000 m² and estimates that the current premises account for 28,000 to 32,000 m² in total. The federation believes the move could free up the courthouse. Those estimates do not establish what the building will be used for or when the courts will move.
On 6 November, Alicante Plaza reported that the Valencian Justice Department is not considering transferring the courthouse. Sources at the department told the newspaper that it plans to refurbish the building to keep it in judicial use and is studying which services to house there. The report puts expected completion of the new complex in the second half of 2027 and gives no date for the move. We learned of this position through the press and are unaware of a formal response to the requests.
We stand by our request. We are asking both authorities to reply in writing and explain how and when they will provide a community centre and a day centre for the southern neighbourhoods.
Media coverage
- 4 November, Alicante Plaza: The campaign for a community centre and a day centre.
- 5 November, Radio Alicante (Cadena SER): The residents’ proposal for Benalúa’s former prison.
- 6 November, Alicante Plaza: The Justice Department plans to keep Benalúa courthouse in judicial use.
Gallery
Photographs from the appendix prepared by the Federation of Neighbourhood Associations of Southern Alicante.
