Câmara da Maia acknowledges public lighting issues in Urbanização da Pícua

Câmara da Maia to review public lighting in the Urbanização da Pícua

The Câmara da Maia accepts that the current public lighting system in the Urbanização da Pícua-an area where several new housing developments continue to be built-may no longer match the scale of the streets and what residents need, and confirms it has been receiving complaints.

In response, the municipality says that “a technical assessment of the infrastructure is being considered, in coordination with E-Redes”, with the aim of examining “solutions to redesign the public lighting network and the possible installation of new light points, particularly near the green areas”.

Residents’ petition cites safety concerns and “unacceptable abandonment”

Inadequate lighting is one of several issues raised in a residents’ petition signed by locals and by users of the green spaces and the exercise and leisure facilities at the former Quinta da Pícua. The petition, with more than two hundred signatures, was submitted to the Maia Municipal Assembly and remains available online.

People who live nearby and regular park users say they are outraged by what they describe as an “unacceptable state of abandonment” in a space used every day by hundreds of people.

“We are talking about a space where children play every day. Where families pass through. Where hundreds of people live. And yet it still lacks minimum safety conditions,” the signatories stress, adding their appeal: “We are not asking for luxury. We are asking for care. We are asking for safety”.

How the Câmara da Maia describes the Quinta da Pícua green areas

Asked by JN, the Câmara da Maia clarified that “the areas in question are not, strictly speaking, an urban park, but rather green areas ceded to the public domain as part of the Urbanização da Pícua development, the former Quinta da Pícua”. According to the municipality, “these green areas are properly maintained and integrated into the public space”, and municipal services are “assessing the placement of additional urban furniture, namely benches”.

While acknowledging that public lighting may be out of step with current needs, the council also notes that the exercise equipment is subject to periodic inspection, adding that three items have been removed for repair. The children’s play area, it says, is “fully operational and was expanded in 2023”.

Lack of maintenance

Over recent years, multiple housing projects have been developed in the area of the former Quinta da Pícua. A place that for many years had unused plots has become far denser in urban terms, but-according to those contesting the situation-without “minimum investment in maintenance, safety and organisation of the public space”.

Beyond general deterioration and the claimed lack of upkeep of equipment in both the playground and the outdoor gym, the petition lists a range of additional problems.

Among them, “in terms of road safety and urban organisation, there are streets without visible place-name signage, pavements with holes and degraded surfacing, roads without properly marked pedestrian crossings, a lack of signage appropriate to a residential area with a high presence of minors, and recurrent use of an exclusively pedestrian avenue for vehicle circulation and parking, without effective control measures”.

The petitioners also report trees being cut down without “a structured replanting or compensation programme” being evident, as well as a shortage of “basic support structures, namely toilet facilities or sheltered areas”.

What the petitioners are asking for in the Espaço Verde da Pícua

Against this backdrop, the signatories set out several demands: a public presentation of a plan for immediate maintenance of the equipment; the definition and scheduling of a phased programme to refurbish the park and the surrounding green spaces; the urgent introduction of measures to strengthen road safety on the streets bordering the park, including suitable signage and deterrents to prevent improper driving in pedestrian areas; the installation of street name signage where it is missing; and public clarification of the framework and planned investment for the Espaço Verde da Pícua.

Inspections, repairs and planned works on the outdoor gym and playground

The Câmara da Maia does not share the negative assessment expressed by those who signed the petition, reiterating that the green areas are maintained and incorporated into the public realm.

Regarding the outdoor gym, the municipality states that it “was built in 2017 and is subject to monthly inspections, with technical reports produced by a specialised company”. It adds: “Of the seven items of equipment installed, three are temporarily removed for repair, with their restoration planned under a public tender that is currently in the process of being opened”.

As for the playground, the council says it “is fully operational and was expanded in 2023”. “Despite its normal functioning, preventive maintenance interventions are also planned, namely at the level of wooden structures and other elements, included in the same tender procedure,” it notes.

“The Municipality of Maia is continuing to monitor this situation and will keep assessing the interventions needed to guarantee the quality of public spaces and the safety and well-being of residents of the Urbanização da Pícua,” the Câmara told JN.