Walter Finch
MIJAS Town Hall has approved plans for a major donkey sanctuary spanning over 10,000 square metres as part of a €15.1 million infrastructure spending package.
The council has allocated €80,000 for the design of the recreational park, which will house the town’s famous donkeys in more spacious stables with dedicated recreational areas.
The facility will allow public visits while the animals roam in semi-free conditions.
The project aims to establish Mijas as a breeding centre and will be fully integrated into the landscape, designed to improve the animals’ quality of life whilst maintaining their role as a tourist attraction.
The sanctuary plan comes amid ongoing controversy over Mijas’s donkey taxis, which have faced years of criticism from animal welfare activists.
Last summer, several donkeys were reported to have collapsed due to heat exhaustion, leading to renewed calls to end the practice and new rules limiting operating times during weather warnings.
The donkey taxis have been particularly controversial for forcing the animals to work in extreme summer temperatures whilst carrying tourists around the hilltop town.
The donkey sanctuary forms part of a broader €15.1 million budget modification approved by the council, with €5.87 million specifically designated for infrastructure projects.
The spending package was approved despite opposition from the Socialist PSOE and Ciudadanos parties.
Housing features prominently in the investment plan, with €150,000 allocated for designing 40 public housing units on the El Maro site covering 5,731 square metres.
The development represents the largest public housing project in the municipality for two decades.
The council is also addressing parking shortages with plans for underground car parks in La Vega (€150,000), Las Cañadas (€150,000), and La Cala boulevard (€200,000), plus surface parking near the hippodrome (€33,000).
Nearly 30 street renovation projects are planned across the municipality, including comprehensive upgrades to roads such as Ciprés, Pablo Ruiz Picasso, Cártama, and Segovia.
Major infrastructure improvements include widening the A-7053 between Venta La Morena and the Mijas Golf roundabout.
Sports facilities will receive €150,000 for repairing the La Cala sports pavilion roof, with additional funds for football facility improvements in Las Lagunas and Osunillas.
The Las Lagunas pensioners’ centre will also receive €80,000 for upgrades.
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