Several Ibiza venues will be forced to pay heavy fines as a result of new licensing laws. It’s reported that Ibiza’s San Antonio council has imposed a staggering €1.4 million in fines to venues in the West End. What’s the cause for such hefty fines? Sound pollution. According to the Diario de Ibiza, 345 complaints have been received since the new licensing laws were set in place. As expected, a majority of the complaints are due to noise infractions or promoting events without the necessary permission.
Last March, specific licensing laws were created to control sound levels in the West End, San Antonio. The West End areas were officially declared a Special Acoustic Protection Zone (ZPAW) after several noise infractions over the past years. In addition, the curfew was reduced from 5 am to 3 am to combat the noise. Now, around 20 venues will face fines, some also having to close for a period of 80 days.
The Diario De Ibiza explains that the fines fall into two groups. The first group, San Antonio’s tax office, is collecting around $714,000 worth of fines. Around $846,000, which is to be split among 20 venues, is also being processed as we speak. All in all, we hope these venues bounce back quickly and improve their policies to avoid something like this from happening again. Many of the venues are working to end this nightmare ASAP to prepare for the summer crowds.
