Altea bars and restaurants allowed to expand terraces

ALTEA Town Hall will allow bars and restaurants along the town’s promenade to expand their terraces during the summer in exchange for creating jobs.

“We will allow all businesses to expand their terraces restoration at no cost to them but with a commitment that this action results in the recruitment of more staff ” said Councillor Jaime Sellos.

The measure, which could be extended to other businesses in town, “studying each case on its merits,” said the Councillor, and is intended to apply until the end of August, although it is possible to extend this date, depending on the outcome.

The aim of the proposal, “is to help businesses mitigate the effects of the economic crisis and facilitate the creation of local employment.” Said Councillor for Employment Promotion, Vigel Lloret, who added “our main goal is to improve the employability of all Alteanos and consider giving more freedom and better facilities to all bars and restaurants, so they are going to get more people to come Altea. With more space for shops we will hopefully have more customers, and thereby increase the number of employees you have to deal with the increased demand. Our main objective is simply to reduce the number of unemployed is in Altea. “

The measure is limited to a maximum area that can be expanded for each business, ensuring “respect for the space needed for all the pedestrians who walk along our coastline,” said Sellos.
To obtain permission traders simply have to attend at the Town Hall and submit an application, said Councillor for Tourism and Trade, Yolanda Garcia. And the whole thing is free.

The measures adopted by Altea stand in stark contrast to the attitude of Javea council, where traders were recently told remove seating from terraces; causing upset amongst the town’s bar and restaurant owners, who claimed the Council had no concept of the difficulties experienced by traders, and that such measures at the height of the season were crippling trade and had no commercial sense.

By Paul Deed