Improving essential public services and infrastructure in towns like Castell de Castells. Credit: Joanbnajo / Creative Commons
The 2026 budget proposals for Alicante Provincial Council place the inland areas of the Costa Blanca at centre stage, with more than €40 million in planned investment aimed at revitalising small municipalities, strengthening essential services and curbing the ongoing depopulation affecting many rural valleys and mountain communities.
The interior of the Costa Blanca stands at the heart of the Socialist Group’s proposed amendments to Alicante Provincial Council’s 2026 budget, with an ambitious package exceeding €40 million. According to deputy Ismael Vidal, the plan represents “a firm commitment to small municipalities and those at risk of depopulation”, acknowledging that a lack of services remains the main driver behind the exodus of residents from rural areas such as the Vall de Gallinera, the Vall d’Ebo and Castell de Castells.
Boost to essential services and infrastructure
A substantial part of the initiative focuses on improving essential public services and infrastructure. More than €21 million is earmarked for new investment in town halls, health centres, multifunctional and social spaces for older residents, alongside the modernisation of sports facilities through the +Sport 2026 Plan, which has a €7 million budget. The aim is to offer a quality of life that encourages young people to remain in the province’s inland towns. The proposals also include technical reinforcement for municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, providing pools of administrative assistants and emergency technicians to help overcome bureaucratic hurdles that often prevent smaller councils from carrying out works or accessing grants.
Economic measures to counter depopulation
The package directly addresses depopulation with specific measures designed to stimulate local economic activity. These include the creation of coworking spaces under the ‘Smart Villages’ concept, rainwater collection systems for irrigation, designated areas for mobile markets to revitalise local commerce, and direct support for mobility and extensive livestock farming. All these initiatives aim to create employment opportunities and improve daily life in the province’s valleys and mountain communities.
Environmental reinforcement and heritage recovery
In environmental and heritage matters, the amendments increase investment in forest fire prevention to €2.5 million, a particularly significant step following the events of 2024. Additional funding is allocated to the repair of fire-damaged rural paths and the restoration of wetlands and natural landscapes, promoting sustainable rural tourism that makes the most of the scenic value of areas such as the Vall de Laguar. The proposals also strengthen funding lines for the preservation of traditional architecture and cultural heritage, including dry-stone construction—key elements for fostering local identity, attracting visitors and generating heritage-based economic activity.
Call to safeguard cash machine services in towns without banks
Alongside the presentation of these amendments, the Socialist Group will tomorrow bring a crucial motion to the full council on behalf of residents in municipalities without bank branches. The party will call on the Generalitat Valenciana to immediately renew contracts guaranteeing the operation of cash machines, insisting that the service must remain uninterrupted during administrative processing, be maintained, and even expanded as an essential resource.
A plan to secure the future of inland Alicante
Finally, Socialist spokesperson Vicente Arques underlined that with this series of initiatives, the fight against depopulation is placed “at the core of action for 2026”, reinforcing public services, accessibility, local employment, and environmental and heritage recovery as key pillars for a viable future in the villages of the Marina Alta and the rest of inland Alicante.