Applications opened on May 22 for a new support scheme that helps local businesses hit by major council projects in Benalmadena. This latest round targets shops and hospitality venues around Santo Domingo, Plaza de España, and nearby streets.

Previous support reached 70 businesses

Local leaders built on an earlier initiative that delivered €350,000 to around 70 traders in Avenida Retamar, Avenida Juan Luis Peralta, and the eleven Gamonal streets. Success in that first phase encouraged expansion into additional areas where work is still going on.

Higher grants reflect longer disruption periods

Businesses affected in this second phase qualify for amounts reaching €9,000 each. Extended construction timelines beyond twelve months justify the increased figures. Mayor Juan Antonio Lara stressed the importance of helping companies manage ongoing costs such as rent, utilities, and staff wages during these problematic periods.

Council strategy balances infrastructure needs

Complex improvement works in long-neglected zones form a key part of the current administration’s plans. Officials introduced this pioneering aid programme to reduce economic pressure on local commerce. Support measures aim to keep shops viable while essential urban upgrades proceed.

Who qualifies for the grants?

Commercial operators, service providers, and restaurants open to the public can apply if registered before the call. Both individuals and companies meet criteria, provided they hold current tax clearances with national authorities and the Benalmadena council.

Single application rule ensures fairness

Authorities accept only one submission per person or company. This approach promotes equitable distribution across eligible premises.

How to submit claims before deadline

Interested parties must file requests by June 22 through the official electronic portal of the Benalmadena Town Hall website. Complete documentation including invoices and expense records remains essential for processing. Applicants should prepare evidence of costs directly linked to the construction period.

This fresh aid package demonstrates continued commitment to protecting local economic activity. Traders facing prolonged work now gain valuable financial breathing space to maintain operations and plan ahead. The initiative reinforces Benalmadena’s approach of combining necessary infrastructure development with practical business assistance.

Visitors can now experience the exhibition Un Lugar en el Tiempo at Torremolinos Town Hall. Running from May 29 to June 26, this collection of oil paintings by Jesús Ortiz Armada invites reflection on how places evolve while remaining preserved in personal memory.

Organisers designed the display with a contemplative atmosphere that encourages viewers to pause and connect with scenes from everyday life and the past. Each canvas captures traces, absences, architecture, and recollections tied to specific locations, all rendered through the distinctive brushwork and palette of the artist.

Practical information for visitors

Access to the exhibition will be completely free. Opening hours run Monday to Friday from 9am to 1.30pm. The official opening takes place on Friday, May, at 7pm, offering an opportunity to meet the artist and view the works on the first evening.

Profile of the Malaga painter

Jesús Ortiz Armada was born in the village of El Burgo, Malaga. He studied education sciences in Malaga and later graduated in labour relations in Granada. His professional path has remained firmly rooted in his native region, where he draws inspiration from both impressionist and realist traditions.

Local competitions have recognised his landscape and bullfighting paintings with several awards over the years. Ortiz Armada created his first oil painting at the age of five and pursued art through private lessons while largely developing his skills as a self-taught artist. He later completed studies in applied arts in Granada.

Distinctive realist approach

The artist focuses primarily on Spanish customs in his subjects and demonstrates strong command of realistic techniques. His previous exhibitions have appeared in Malaga, Albacete, Ronda, Torre del Mar, El Burgo, Casarabonela and Tolox. Private collectors in Spain and abroad now hold many of his pieces.

Ortiz Armada excels at creating convincing light and atmosphere in his figure compositions, paying careful attention to both main elements and background details. His canvases deliver a strong sense of reality through balanced colour and gentle tonal transitions.

This exhibition offers residents and visitors to the Costa del Sol a chance to appreciate the work of one of Malaga province’s dedicated realist painters.

Spanish health authorities have expanded a food safety alert involving fresh cheese products after another affected item was linked to possible Listeria contamination.

The warning now covers four different brands sold across much of Spain and officials are telling consumers to check fridges carefully and avoid eating any of the affected products.

The alert was updated by Spain’s food safety agency AESAN after new information was received through the country’s rapid food warning system. As a precaution, authorities decided to widen the recall to include all affected batches with expiry dates up to and including July 6, 2026.

For many shoppers, the concern is not only the number of products involved but the fact that fresh cheese is something a lot of people buy routinely without thinking twice about it.

And because these products have already been distributed widely across Spain, the alert is attracting serious attention.

Four cheese brands are now affected by the food alert in Spain

According to AESAN, the recall currently affects several refrigerated fresh cheese products made from cow’s milk.

The products involved include:

• Cerrato Mediterranean style fresh cheese in 300 gram plastic packaging.
• Nativo queso costeño sold both in bar format and 300 gram containers.
• Several Goya cheese products including queso estilo llanero and queso latino in different sizes.
• And Sabor de Casa queso latino sold in bar format and 325 gram packaging.

Authorities say all affected products with expiry dates on or before July 6, 2026 should be considered part of the alert.

AESAN also confirmed the products began being removed from shops as soon as the warning was issued.

Still, officials are asking people to double check products already stored at home because many consumers may have purchased them before the recall expanded.

Health officials warn consumers not to eat affected cheese products

The advice from Spain’s food safety agency is straightforward.

Do not consume the products.

AESAN is also asking people to be careful about cross contamination inside the kitchen, especially if the cheese has already been opened or stored next to other food.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause symptoms including fever, diarrhoea and vomiting. In some cases, the infection can become serious, particularly among vulnerable groups.

Anyone who has eaten one of the affected products and later develops symptoms compatible with listeriosis is being advised to contact a medical centre.

Although healthy adults often recover without severe complications, doctors tend to pay particular attention to elderly people, those with weakened immune systems and pregnant women.

Pregnant women are being urged to take extra care

AESAN specifically highlighted pregnancy in its latest update because listeriosis can pose serious risks during pregnancy even when symptoms initially appear mild.

For that reason, pregnant women are being encouraged to follow the agency’s food safety guidance carefully and avoid products associated with higher Listeria risk.

Fresh cheeses have long been considered one of the foods requiring extra caution because the bacteria can survive refrigeration and spread through contaminated products relatively easily.

Food alerts involving Listeria tend to generate strong reactions in Spain partly because previous outbreaks in recent years received enormous national attention and raised wider concerns about food controls and product traceability.

This latest warning does not currently involve reports of a major outbreak linked to the cheeses, but authorities appear determined to act quickly before any larger health issue develops.

Regional authorities across Spain have already been informed and are now checking that the affected products are properly removed from supermarkets and other sales points.

For consumers, though, the most important thing right now is much simpler.

Check the fridge carefully.And if one of the affected cheeses is sitting there, do not eat it.