Velez-Malaga mayor fears another ‘El Copo’

DESPITE a sentence ordering Velez-Malaga town hall to pay millions in compensation, residents in Torre del Mar complain that the problem with noise has not stopped.

The 18 homeowners from the Ipanema buildings took the town hall to court after they failed to do anything for 13 years about excessive noise in El Copo nightlife area, in Torre del Mar and in 2008, the Supreme Court set the compensation at €2.8 million.

In January 2010, the town hall paid €2,086,000 of the total amount but the residents consider that the town hall still owes them €3.6 million.

This, they claim, is composed of €713,945 remaining from the sentence, plus €1,390,000 in interests generated since 2003, and €1,514,000 from a second sum established by the courts.

Now, tired of the vibrations caused by disco music which they have to put up with in their homes and the noise clients make outside, homeowners of apartment block 4 of the Conjunto Plazamar in Torre del Mar have decided to take their case to court.

In 2011 alone, they made 200 complaints which were backed up by noise level readings carried out by an authorized company. They claim that the town hall has ignored them and that the former team in office told them to “go and live in the countryside”.

They also say the current governing council has said that they do not plan to close the offending disco which allegedly opened without the authorization of the homeowners community which modified its internal regulations to prevent such businesses from opening on the ground floor.

The residents claim that the town hall accuses them of being out for what they can get, while they say all they want is some peace and quiet.

Local Police have been controlling noise levels in the area at weekend and the mayor has agreed to meet with homeowners.

“We don’t want Plazamar to become another El Copo” he said. Meanwhile, the local Business Association (ACET) has requested that the town hall modify local laws regarding opening times and noise levels, and carry out periodic acoustic controls to prevent “false reports”.

By Jennifer Leighfield
jennifer@euroweeklynews.com