Rund Abdelfatah
SPAIN may have garnered a reputation as one of the noisiest countries in the world, but the volume is about to be turned down following a crackdown by town halls.
Authorities are turning to new technology to reduce noise levels in the street, with sound measuring equipment, audio-absorbent pavements, and more controls on bars and nightclubs among some of the schemes being implemented.
It comes after town halls last year received guidelines on how to implement ‘sustainable urban mobility plans’ to minimise noise levels.
Noise pollution remains the number one environmental concern for residents in Andalucia.
Tell that to our Town Hall. We live in Palma de Gandia near Valencia and our fiesta has just finished – for 4 nights when the temperature has been in the 30s we have had discos/bands playing until 6 in the morning – so loud that you could hear through ear plugs or cotton wool stuffed into your ears. I can’t even say that the town hall has cut back either on activities – I think that all our money we pay to the town hall was spent on the fiesta. We even bought our own flags this year for the street – just as you would do in the UK. I wouldn’t mind betting it will be the same noise next year.
Tell that to Marbella Town Hall – see article “We’ll fight them in the Hills” on Olive Press website February 2011. After 12 years of denuncias and despite promise of ambiental piano-type music only with volume limiter (Dec. 2011), Town Hall is now routinely AUTHORISING live music on terraces using portable amplifiers – both forbidden under Andalucian Law of Public Performances – often more than one group on same night on different terraces at night club level and until 2:00 a.m. This breaches Andalucian law and Marbella’s own Sound and Vibration Ordinance and we are pursuing through the courts but, unfortunately, this is slow.
We don’t have that sort of problem in Gandia/area thankfully
Its quiet now thank goodness and the weather has gone down considerably so catching up on sleep lol
turn up the volume and stop being such boring old biddies.
“Audio-absorbent pavements”?? Tell us more! Wonder if they will “absorb” the sound of gobby smokers, stood in bar doorways.
Just now we have kids, mothers and god knows who running up and down our small cul-de-sac of 4 houses. thanks for the advice Ivor, but we do turn the tv up as far as we can possible bear it and you can still hear the bloody kids (and adults) screaming. If you haven’t experienced noise like this and Carol’s – just think yourself lucky – we don’t need sarcastic comments.
“Audio-absorbent pavements”
lol you are lucky to even have a pavement in most villages of Spain.