Initial evaluation of enforcement measures in Alicante’s Old Town’s Acoustically Saturated Zone (ZAS). Ninety violation notifications for non-compliance with the limitations set by this policy have been issued in the roughly two months since it was put into effect on October 14th. During his weekly public appearance to report on the agreements approved by the Local Council, Manuel Villar, the Deputy Mayor, Councillor for the Environment, and Deputy Spokesperson for the governing team, made this announcement on Tuesday, January 13th. Since the owners of the impacted institutions have the opportunity to appeal, it is unclear whether any of these notices will result in suggested sanctions.
In any event, Villar noted that the limitations on the hours of operation of bars and other hospitality businesses situated along the streets surrounding Plaza Quijano, along with the shrinkage of the space allotted for the installation of outdoor seating areas, are still in effect while the appeals of a number of ZAS-affected hospitality business owners are being resolved. In those appeals, it was argued that the set limits were capricious and based on antiquated noise measurements.
In this regard, the Environment Councillor cited two court rulings that first suspended the ZAS (Special Acoustic Zone) provisional implementation agreement but later upheld the validity of the final implementation agreement, which had been approved by the Governing Board following the Regional Ministry of the Environment’s endorsement of the municipal proposal. Additionally, same newspaper noted that the municipal legal services’ request for clarification resulted in the ratification of the ZAS’s efficacy.
He insisted that they intend to continue the process of reaching a consensus on the creation of the second Acoustically Protected Zone (ZAS) in the streets of the Traditional Centre, which is close to Castaños, when the Christmas season is over. In keeping with this, Villar stressed that the People’s Party (PP) governing team had been waiting for the court’s decision regarding the preventative measures that pub and restaurant owners had asked for in their appeals against the ZAS in the Old Town before moving forward and agreeing to activity restrictions in the Traditional Centre.
Although the extent of this second Acoustically Protected Zone (ZAS) has not yet been disclosed, all signs point to the adoption of policies akin to those decided upon for the Old Town. To reduce noise pollution and encourage citizens to take breaks, this involves, at the very least, moving closing times forward and limiting permits for outdoor dining places on public roadways.
Author: Derek Appleton
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