Mojacar mayor willing to bend rules for local bars

THE MOJACAR mayor has admitted that music is important in beach bars.

She said she will turn an unofficial blind eye to the Andalucian law.

Business owners are furious that they were forced to spend thousands of Euros on noise limiter systems last summer, because the law has since changed and the systems are no longer needed.

The Conservative (PP) Mayor, Rosa Marie Cano confirmed that the limiters are no longer required but that they will still be “useful”.

She said that as of January 2012, Andalucian law prohibits music altogether in bars and restaurants that don’t have music licences.

Music licences are extremely difficult to get because of strict sound-proofing rules.

Very few establishments in Mojacar have such licences. Cano said that music added to the atmosphere of Mojacar Playa and that she would allow “ambient music,” in bars and restaurants.

In an interview on Spectrum FM radio, on May 2, she said she had informed bar and restaurant owners that she wouldn’t close their businesses for playing music, as long as it couldn’t be heard outside.

She recommended not playing music during siesta time or during the early hours.

Even though the law now states zero tolerance, she said that she had suggested that volume-controlled music between 7pm and 12.30pm was acceptable.

Cano said that the noise limiters would therefore be useful for owners to help control their establishments’ noise levels and avoid complaints.

The law doesn’t allow special one-off licences to be granted for parties or live music events. However, she said it wouldn’t hurt for bar owners to let the town hall know in advance when they have something planned.

Opening hours have not been changed with the new law.

Bars and restaurants must still close at 2am on normal weekdays, and 3am at the weekends and on public holidays.

Discos are allowed to stay open until 6am and can play music, as long as it can’t be heard outside, until 4am. Cano said that Moma, Mandala and Liquid were the only places in Mojacar with disco licences.

By Susan Leach
s.leach@euroweeklynews.com