The Minister of Culture and Sport of the Junta de Andalucía, Patricia del Pozo, on Tuesday avoided fueling the controversy surrounding the awning project for the Avenida de la Constitución and defended the work of Heritage technicians against criticism from the Mayor of Seville, José Luis Sanz, regarding potential alternatives to the design proposed by the City Council.
Del Pozo recalled that the municipal proposal to install a pilot test of awnings on a section of the Avenida de la Constitución reached the Territorial Delegation of Culture in early June and has only been under analysis for two weeks. "What has arrived is a proposal, a test of awnings on a part of the Avenida de la Constitución," she explained, specifying that the file was registered on June 1st and received by the Junta the following day.
The minister insisted on the complexity of the project due to its location in the heart of the city's historic center. "It is a complex project because we are in the entire heritage and historical center of Seville," she stated. In this regard, she emphasized that the proposal includes a series of anchor points that must be carefully studied by the competent technicians.
Her statements come a day after the mayor of Seville conditioned the installation of the awnings this summer on the opinion of the Provincial Heritage Commission. In an interview with Radio Sevilla, Sanz stated that if the consultative body "does not like the presented project and offers an alternative that is another eyesore, there will be no awnings this year."
Faced with this confrontational scenario, Del Pozo opted to emphasize institutional collaboration between the two administrations and the work of the specialists responsible for evaluating the proposal. "I trust that soon, as always, with the collaboration and cooperation we have maintained with the City Council of Seville, we will have a pronouncement on the presented proposal or on a feasible alternative," she stated.
The head of Culture also expressly praised the work of the Territorial Delegation and the Provincial Heritage Commission, highlighting "the professionalism, caliber, and excellence" of its members. As she explained, the objective is to study the project with all guarantees due to the heritage sensitivity of the environment.
When asked about the possibility of the awnings being installed this summer, Del Pozo avoided setting specific deadlines. She did recall that the file arrived at the Junta "12 or 14 days ago" and stressed that it was not submitted in the preceding months. "We are going to work as quickly as we can, but it was clearly registered at the beginning of June, not in February or March," she said.
The minister insisted that speed cannot come at the expense of technical analysis. "What we cannot do is, by acting with haste or speed, fail to properly address and study a project that requires our full attention," she affirmed.
The debate over shade on the Avenida de la Constitución thus returns to the center of municipal attention. As reported by Diario de Sevilla on June 1st, the City Council has proposed a pilot test in the section closest to Puerta de Jerez using a system of textile sails anchored directly to the facades, a solution designed to increase the shaded area and reduce the visual impact compared to previous proposals.
Awaiting the Heritage report, the Junta maintains a message of prudence and institutional collaboration, while the City Council awaits authorization that will determine whether the main pedestrian artery of the historic center will have additional shade this summer.
