The San Gerardo neighbourhood association in La Salud, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, has reacted following a recent court ruling that has temporarily halted construction work around San Gerardo church. This work, which began a week ago, was aimed at rehabilitating the area and establishing a provisional car park for 80 vehicles, necessitating the removal of trees in the adjacent gardens.
The ruling, issued by the administrative section of the Court of First Instance, responds to a legal challenge from the environmental group Los Árboles Hablan against the council’s decision to proceed with the project. The council plans to contest the ruling in order to continue the works, which residents are also supporting.
To discuss their next steps, the neighbourhood association has called a meeting on 28 September at 8.00 pm. The aim is to explore ways to ensure the project, which has received substantial support from locals, goes ahead, including the demolition of the church and enhancement of the plaza.
The association highlighted that over a hundred residents attended a previous assembly to advocate for changes to the project that would allocate space for parking, gardens, a children’s park, and self-cleaning toilets. They stressed that this petition addresses real issues in the community, such as sanitation problems and bad odours, and aims to improve living conditions, security, and wellbeing.
The association emphasised their commitment to community input and dialogue, stating, “We want to show that our voice matters and our unity makes us stronger. We wish for the residents’ wishes to be heard, considering the welfare of our neighbourhood.”
Meanwhile, Santa Cruz Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez confirmed that municipal legal services are preparing appeals against the court’s decision that has halted the works. “We will submit technical reports justifying the planned actions, including tree transplants and potential removals. The judge will decide whether to uphold the suspension or allow the council to proceed,” he stated.
He added, “The project involves more than just trees; it includes the parking requested by residents and the renovation of a plaza that elderly residents currently find inaccessible. If the work is halted, it could be delayed for a long time until a final decision is made, which would be bad news for residents.”
