Facebook || It is a group of Olhão residents who love the quaint and quirky charm of their chosen home and don’t want to see it messed about.
Resident readers might remember our story in April “Olhão ‘stripped of charm’” as ugly paving slabs replaced quaint cobbles.
The “I love Olhão” movement is a direct result of this incident where picturesque squares were relaid with modern paving that many feel has obliterated a jewel in Olhão’s downtown charm.
Thus the pressure now is on the second phase of council-initiated improvements – a programme to upgrade market squares with new lighting, bench seats and wider access roads.
The scheme is being drawn up by Lisbon architects Baixa Atelier – and locals are concerned they will be left with another “tragedy”.
“Many of us were not happy about the first stage of urban renewal, particularly the use of materials”, says the group’s Facebook page. “Therefore, as a community we would like to be involved in the decision-making process, and not wake up to find that the Câmara has approved plans that the people of Olhão do not like, and that it is too late to make a protest.”
Thus,everyone is being invited to make their opinions loud and clear on the new “I love Olhão” Facebook page.
It is designed to become a “platform for publishing information about plans and changes when they become available” – and it is also a perfect window “to see just how ugly the market area could become” with the proposed choice of lighting.
As one commentator exclaimed: “The new lighting looks like aliens’ antennae.”
Photographs of picturesque town benches and the alternatives proposed – featureless slabs of sienite that offer little comfort – are also plain for all to see.
“Stupid” and “sick” are some of the comments for the council’s proposed changes, and as the Resident published in April, the “upgrade” to the town’s little squares so outraged one local resident that he called us specially to protest:
“Any tour operator would tell you this has destroyed all the charm these little squares used to have,” said artist Piers de Laszlo. “Tourists don’t want to see this! In fact, I can’t imagine anyone would be in favour of this kind of barbarity.”
The Resident managed to speak to a technician from Olhão Câmara, who said he completely understood the residents’ concerns.
“I have heard about these proposed changes, but so far nothing has come through to us,” he told us.
“The council is working with outside companies, like Baixa Atelier in Lisbon, and my advice to people, quite honestly, is to come to the Câmara and put their names down to meet the president.
“The president has weekly sessions where he answers local people’s concerns. It is a perfect opportunity for people to talk to him.”
The source told the Resident the “ugly squares” were, again, the work of outside experts brought in by the council: “So far, as technicians, we are not aware of the plans for the market area. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist. They are very possibly under discussion, but nothing has come through to us yet.”
The technician added that the public discussion period would follow any council decision-making, but that this would not guarantee that the council would take public opinion on board.
In other words, the “I love Olhão” Facebook page needs to gather support, and try and secure the beautiful old town’s future, he agreed.
As the page itself proclaims: “The success of this page depends on people forwarding its information to as many local and influential people as possible, and actively contributing to it by posting comments and photos.”
by Natasha Donn
