Cheste City Council has received a favorable resolution from the call for the EDIL DANA Plan, promoted by the Ministry of Finance and funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The joint application submitted with Benetússer has been awarded 5,999,994 euros, of which 2,242,000 euros correspond to Cheste. These funds will be allocated to an expansion project for the Silleta ravine, the watercourse that runs through the municipality and was the main cause of the flood on October 29, 2024.
The mayor of Cheste, José Morell, emphasized the project's importance: “We know firsthand the damage a flash flood like the one in 2024 can cause, and this is a crucial project to mitigate its impact, both economic and human.” He added that “we want a better-prepared, more resilient Cheste, capable of protecting its residents from extreme weather events that, unfortunately, may recur. This investment is moving in that direction”.
This aid comes as a result of an inter-municipal cooperation strategy initiated at the beginning of the year between the governing teams of Cheste and Benetússer. By establishing a Functional Urban Area, both councils decided to jointly apply for the EDIL DANA call. The proposal was finalized on February 4 with a meeting between mayors José Morell and Eva Sanz, along with their technical teams, including Cheste's deputy mayor, Mª Ángeles Llorente, and Benetússer's urban planning councilor, Livia Guillem.
The funding distribution was based on population criteria: 2,242,000 euros for Cheste and 4,057,000 euros for Benetússer. The neighboring municipality will allocate its share to the construction of an elevated park-and-ride facility, which will address a long-standing parking demand and prevent vehicles from being exposed in the event of a new flood, a factor that worsened the damage in the 2024 flood.
The grant to Cheste and Benetússer is part of the general call for the EDIL DANA Plan, which has allocated a total of 273.2 million euros in ERDF aid to 95 local entities affected by the catastrophe. This aid, announced by the Minister of Finance, Arcadi España, will mobilize a total public investment of 287.6 million euros thanks to a 95% EU co-financing rate. The program aims not only to repair damage but also to equip affected areas with resilient and sustainable infrastructure against climate change.
This grant is in addition to other investments that Cheste City Council has managed to channel since the DANA, such as the comprehensive renovation of the municipal swimming pool (with 1.5 million from the Ministry of Territorial Policy) and emergency interventions carried out at the sports center.
