I’m enjoying reading the news each week on English Edition, Saturdays on RTV Marbella, as I actually get to find out what’s going on in our city.

For example, the National Police are set to significantly strengthen their presence in San Pedro Alcántara following the Town Hall’s decision to hand over a new premises on Avenida Marqués del Duero to Spain’s Interior Ministry.

The new offices will offer administrative services, including complaint reporting, passport applications and DNI renewals, reducing the need for residents to travel to Marbella’s central police headquarters.

The expansion comes amid continued efforts to reinforce security in San Pedro and speed up routine formalities.  San Pedro continues to grow at an almost alarming speed with more all year round residents and visitors, hence the increase in police resources is designed to ensure services keep pace with demand, while also improving visibility, response times and day-to-day support.

The relocation will effectively allow the National Police to operate from two separate sites in San Pedro. Current facilities in the town centre will then be able to expand operational services and accommodate a larger number of officers permanently based in the area.

Local councillor for Citizen Security, José Eduardo Díaz, said the project forms part of a wider commitment to improving safety and public service access for residents. San Pedro’s Deputy Mayor, Javier García, described the development as another important step in strengthening security infrastructure across the district.

The municipal government expects the move to be completed within the coming months after receiving approval from the Ministry, with only final administrative procedures remaining.

Alongside the new National Police facilities, the adjoining Local Police offices will also be upgraded and will include a new monitoring centre for the town’s expanding CCTV surveillance network.

Madrid is shedding its starch-collared image and slipping into something rather more cosmopolitan. New arrivals – well-heeled professionals, remote workers and international families – are redrawing the social map, with barrios such as Justicia now favoured for their distinctly Spanish rhythm over the polished gloss of Salamanca.

The capital, once overlooked by investors, has surged to the top of Spain’s property ladder. Elegant districts near Retiro Park and cultural landmarks are seeing the sharpest rises, while buyers from Latin America and the United States (the Trump Effect?) bring fresh tastes – and deep pockets. Buyers arrive not just for architecture and culture, but for a favourable tax perk: the “Beckham Law” caps income tax at 24% for six years (Yes! THAT Beckham – one of the first foreigners to take advantage of it!).

Yet the transformation is not without tension. Longtime residents are being priced out, traditional shops are shuttering, and entire neighbourhoods are being reshaped by luxury developments and branded residences. In literary Cortes, historic façades now conceal high-end homes, while elsewhere cranes and boutique hotels signal relentless reinvention.

Some welcome the revival; others fear Madrid risks losing its soul. New housing projects promise relief, though many families are already drifting to the suburbs. The result: a capital in delicate balance – torn between preserving its heritage and embracing its newfound status as Europe’s latest urban darling.

Thanks for all emails to my website below. Delighted you enjoy my novels too!

Nora Johnson’s 14 critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers, including the latest ‘The House of Secrets’ (www.nora-johnson.net), all available online at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity. 

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