New emergency life-saving equipment has been installed across the town to help save lives in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.

Torrox is stepping up its public safety measures after installing 11 new defibrillators in educational establishments and centres for older residents.

Mayor Óscar Medina announced the installation on Sunday, November 1, saying the new-generation devices would help make the municipality better prepared to deal with cardiac emergencies.

The plan is intended to improve safety in places where children, teachers, older residents and staff spend much of their time, providing the means to respond more quickly if somebody suffers a sudden cardiac arrest.

New defibrillators across Torrox

Medina shared the announcement on his Facebook account, describing the project as an important step towards making Torrox a municipality with greater cardiac protection.

The equipment consists of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), which can analyse a person’s heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock when necessary.

These devices are designed to be used by members of the public and provide spoken instructions to guide someone through the process. They can be particularly important when used quickly, together with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), while emergency services are on their way.

Every minute can count during a cardiac arrest, making access to defibrillators in public buildings and community facilities particularly valuable. A similar expansion of public access to the equipment was reported in Velez-Malaga, where 70 new defibrillators were announced.

Training is also important

The announcement follows previous efforts by Torrox to improve local emergency response capabilities. The town has also supported training for Civil Protection volunteers, with 15 members receiving certificates following instruction at the Provincial Fire and Civil Protection School. Civil Protection training in the Axarquia has previously brought together volunteers from several local areas, including Torrox.

Having trained people available to use the equipment can make an important difference when an emergency occurs. That said, the newest models are designed in such a way that anyone can use them in an emergency, rather than waiting for ambulance staff the arrive. The equipment has easy-to-understand spoken instructions and is programmed not to discharge an electric current is it detects a heartbeat, including that of someone touching the body of the victim. Spoken instructions are often also given in English.

The latest installation is another step in improving access to life-saving equipment across the town, particularly in facilities used by vulnerable members of the community. Nerja previously installed five mobile defibrillators to improve emergency cover along its coastline.

A practical investment in community safety

Although the mayor has confirmed that 11 devices have been installed, further details about their individual locations and whether staff at all the participating centres have received practical training have not yet been provided.

The Junta de Andalucia’s guidance on automated external defibrillators explains the regional requirements for installation, registration and use of the equipment.

The council’s investment reflects the importance of making emergency equipment accessible beyond hospitals and medical centres.

For families, school communities and older residents in Torrox, the new installations offer an additional level of reassurance should a cardiac emergency occur. In Spain, anyone needing emergency assistance can call 112, the national emergency number.

More than 1,300 people have signed a petition opposing plans for 108 new homes at the entrance to Salobreña, as a local residents’ association steps up its campaign against the controversial development.

The Cal y Caña association handed over 1,343 signatures to Salobreña Town Hall on Friday, October 30, calling for the proposed development at UE-S3 to be reconsidered before it receives definitive approval.

The petition includes 321 signatures collected on paper and another 1,022 submitted through Change.org. The campaign ran between September 13 and October 28, according to the residents’ association’s petition campaign.

Why are residents opposing the 108 homes?

The proposed development concerns a site close to Salobreña’s historic centre and castle, where residents fear the scale and height of the new buildings could change the town’s traditional appearance.

Under the proposed Plan de Reforma Interior (PRI), the 14,409-square-metre site could accommodate up to 108 homes, including 21 designated as protected housing.

However, Cal y Caña argues that the original 2001 General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) envisaged 77 homes, with buildings restricted to two floors.

The new proposal would allow buildings of up to three floors on one plot and five floors on another, raising concerns about the impact on views of the historic town and its castle.

The association previously submitted 24 objections to the planning proposal, arguing that the development could affect the appearance of the historic town and its protected surroundings.

Road changes and environmental concerns

Objections also concern the proposed road network and its impact on the surrounding area. The plans include new road connections intended to improve access and traffic circulation, but campaigners have questioned the proposed changes around Cuesta Caracho and the potential consequences for nearby agricultural land.

The association has also raised concerns about the planning process and the decision that the scheme does not require a strategic environmental assessment.

Mayor defends plans for Salobreña

Mayor Javier Ortega has defended the development, arguing that it is about more than providing additional housing. In September, the mayor explained that plans for a new avenue and improved access to Salobreña formed an important part of the project.

The town hall says the scheme would reorganise one of Salobreña’s main entrances, improve traffic circulation and create new public spaces and facilities.

It maintains that the proposed housing density complies with the existing PGOU, with residential development accounting for around 31 per cent of the overall area. Of the 108 proposed homes, 21 would be protected housing.

The mayor has also pointed to a decision by the Junta de Andalucia’s environmental authorities in April 2026 that the plan did not need to undergo a strategic environmental assessment. The council’s full explanation is available in its response to concerns about the UE-S3 development.

Will the petition stop the development?

The delivery of 1,343 signatures does not automatically suspend the planning process or prevent the scheme from progressing.

The association wants the signatures added to the existing planning objections and is asking the town hall not to give the project definitive approval while the issues it has raised remain unresolved.

The scheme received initial approval through a mayoral resolution dated August 3, 2026, followed by a 20-day public consultation period.

The official planning notice published in Granada’s provincial bulletin confirms that the development is still subject to the administrative planning process.

Cal y Caña also says it does not know what further steps have been taken since the initial approval, claiming that information about the progress of the application has not been made available through the town hall’s transparency portal.

For now, the future of the UE-S3 development remains a subject of disagreement between the residents’ association and the council.