The Tarragona City Council will install in the coming days planters to reorganize and delimit the terraces of the four establishments located between numbers 25 and 27 of Mallorca Street, in front of the Tarraco Arena Plaça. The action seeks to create a physical separation between premises and clearly define the authorized space for each business.
The measure comes after neighborhood complaints about noise at untimely hours and about an excessive occupation of public space, a situation that residents situate with more intensity since the pandemic. The council has already transferred the proposal to the four affected premises and does not rule out hardening it if the new distribution does not work.
Reorganization agreed with neighbors and hospitality industry
"There were neighborhood complaints and, from there, we have put forward a proposal that has already been conveyed to the four establishments. We will carry out a separation using planters to prevent them from moving outside the authorized space" - Montse Adan, Councillor for Tourism, Economic Promotion and Commerce
The councilwoman maintains that the initiative has been agreed upon with residents and with the Associació d"Empresaris d"Hostaleria de Tarragona city. Her forecast is that with this measure coexistence will improve in a particularly sensitive spot due to the influx of public on holidays, concerts or football matches in the vicinity of the Tarraco Arena Plaça.
"It is about favoring a balanced coexistence between residents and restaurateurs. Otherwise, the sector could be harmed with space cutbacks" - Javier Escribano, president of the Associació d"Empresaris d"Hostaleria de Tarragona city
Escribano adds that the sector defends that before reducing space, other solutions be prioritized. The employers' association trusts that this reorganization avoids the elimination of spaces, something it considers detrimental to businesses.
Without complaints on this street, but with planned inspections
On Mallorca street, no complaint is recorded under the new terraces ordinance, in force since June. Yes, a general notice was issued to the establishments and inspections are planned to check compliance with the regulations.
The ordinance establishes that the continuity of the terraces cannot exceed 20 meters without separation and that at least 50% of the sidewalk must remain free for pedestrian passage. In the city as a whole, and once the adaptation period has been exceeded, the Guàrdia Urbana de Tarragona has issued 56 reports in different establishments, which have already been notified.
Among the detected infractions are exceeding the permitted capacity, the lack of authorization to occupy public thoroughfare, the non-removal of terrace elements, the absence of license renewal, and excessive occupation. Despite this, Montse Adan points out that since the ordinance came into force, the restaurant sector is acting correctly throughout the city.
"The complaints come from afar and this intervention, together with the new ordinance, will allow to improve neighborhood rest and guarantee a more respectful use of public space" - police sources
The neighbors ask for more measures against the noise
"During holidays, concerts or soccer matches, both in the afternoon and at night, the capacity is exceeded and a lot of people gather on the terraces. The noise is constant and, at times, it is even difficult to access the building entrance" - affected neighbor
The residents believe that the placement of planters can help, but they demand additional actions. Among their requests are reducing the hours, limiting the tables to a single row, installing television screens inside the premises and not oriented towards the outside, in addition to placing sound level meters.
They have also submitted a letter to the Sindicatura de Greuges, which has already initiated contacts with the municipal government. Josep Maria Ferran, president of the Associació de Veïns Verge del Carme, maintains that small steps are being taken, although the underlying issue continues to be noise, just like in Plaça de la Font. He also adds that, even when the terraces close, many people remain in the street smoking and generating disturbances.
The council leaves open the reduction of space
The City Council does not close the door to studying other options if the reorganization of Mallorca street does not yield the expected results. Among them is a possible reduction of the space of the terraces, a measure that for now is being tried to avoid with this new physical delimitation.
In parallel, the council is finalizing a specific proposal to regulate the terraces of Plaça de la Font. The municipal government is working on that design and plans to present it soon to both restaurateurs and residents, with the intention of developing it jointly and addressing another of the most conflictive points due to the coexistence between economic activity and neighborhood rest.