The local government of Guardamar del Segura has launched a tender for the regeneration works on the western hillside of the castle, with a base budget of 241,348.86 euro, including VAT. Funded under the Vega Renhace Plan, the initiative aims to stabilise one of the ravines on the mount by creating terraces, constructing retaining walls, and restoring vegetation to reduce erosion and improve the appearance of the surrounding area.
Interested companies have until 29th July to submit their bids. The contract, managed through a simplified open procedure, has an estimated value of 199,461.87 euro and an execution timeframe of four months. Among the award criteria, price will carry a weight of 50 points, followed by an extension of the warranty period at 25 points, improvements at 20 points, and a reduction in the execution timeframe at 5 points.
The intervention will take place in the area designated as ravine 3 of plot 6 on the Castle hillside, an action identified as GUAR-010 within the Vega Renhace Plan. The objective is to transform the current ravine by stepping the terrain to create wide terraces. This will allow for the planting of larger trees, retain sediments carried by rainfall, and prevent them from clogging the stormwater collection network. Alongside hydrological correction, the project seeks to restore vegetation and improve the landscape of this natural space.
The project stems from a diagnosis showing that actions taken in 2019 to improve the hillside achieved only partial results. Although the terracing and small retaining works reduced erosion, the plant restoration failed, mainly due to the deterioration of the irrigation system, which went out of service. Consequently, the hillside continues to present a low landscape value and ongoing erosive processes that affect both the mount and the urban environment.
To reverse this situation, the works will include major earthworks to remodel the terrain, the construction of five stone gabion walls to stabilise the new terraces, and the installation of an irrigation network for future planting. In this initial phase, only carob trees will be planted on one of the terraces due to budget constraints, though the irrigation infrastructure will be prepared to extend the revegetation across the entire area of the project.
Machinery access will be via Calle Redona, creating a provisional path to execute the works in a downward direction, from the top of the ravine to its foot. The works will take place entirely on municipal land, meaning no land expropriation is necessary.
As the work takes place on the hillsides of Guardamar Castle, which is declared a Asset of Cultural Interest, authorisation will be required from the regional Ministry responsible for Heritage. However, archaeological studies conducted during previous interventions ruled out the existence of relevant archaeological remains in the specific area where the work will be carried out.
