Orihuela City Council has reassured local sports clubs that existing discounts and exemptions for using municipal facilities will remain available during the 2026/27 season.
Mayor Pepe Vegara and sports councillor Víctor Sigüenza issued the clarification following concern among some organisations that they could face new charges when applying for access to football pitches, sports halls and other council-owned facilities.
Vegara said the council had neither approved a new fee nor removed any of the reductions, discounts or exemptions contained in existing municipal regulations.
Charges for using Orihuela’s sporting facilities are governed by a fiscal ordinance approved in December 2003. Article 6 allows reduced rates to be granted when justified by sporting or social considerations, subject to an application and formal council resolution.
A separate regulation governing the use of municipal sports facilities was approved in June 2022. Its Article 30 expressly allows clubs and other organisations to receive reduced rates or exemptions from public charges when the relevant requirements are met.
Vegara said both regulations remain fully in force and must continue to be applied until they are formally amended through the legally established procedure.
The confusion reportedly arose after the Sports Department circulated instructions setting out how facilities would be requested and allocated for the forthcoming season. The document also covered timetables and the general conditions that clubs must meet.
Although the circular referred to the standard payment of fees, it did not explain all the available reductions and exemptions in the same section. This omission appears to have led some organisations to believe that the concessions had been withdrawn.
Vegara stressed that an administrative circular could organise the sporting season but could not amend a fiscal ordinance or regulations approved by the full council.
He added that clubs must still apply for reductions or exemptions through the proper procedure, provide justification and obtain a formal decision. The requirement to process applications correctly should not, he said, be confused with the introduction of a general new charge.
The mayor also praised the contribution made by Orihuela’s sporting organisations, describing them as far more than users of council facilities.
He said club officials, coaches, instructors, volunteers and families dedicate considerable time and resources to enabling thousands of people—particularly children and young people—to train, compete, learn important values and represent Orihuela.
Vegara insisted that the municipal government’s intention was to support clubs and help them carry out their activities while ensuring that all decisions complied with the law.
The council will now begin reviewing the 2003 fiscal ordinance because of its age. Officials believe the regulations should be modernised, procedures clarified and their content adapted to the present-day needs of Orihuela’s sporting community.
However, the mayor warned that changing a fiscal ordinance requires technical, legal and financial reports, input from several municipal departments and completion of the statutory approval process.
He said the council would not rush the review but would work towards clearer and more modern regulations.
Until that process has been completed, the existing rules will remain in force in their entirety, including all provisions allowing fee reductions, discounts and exemptions.
Vegara concluded by urging clubs to prepare for the new season with confidence, reiterating that no new charge had been introduced and that the council would continue addressing their concerns.
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