Published
Thu, Mar 29, 2018, 12:31
- After months of speculation, the area containing the popular party strip has officially been declared a Special Acoustic Protection Zone (ZPAE).
Ibiza's San Antonio council has passed a law that will force clubs and bars in the West End to shut at the earlier time of 3 AM.
The news was confirmed yesterday by San Antonio's environmental councillor, Pablo Valdés. According to Diario De Ibiza, he was met with abuse and criticism from local business owners, who last month kicked back against the proposed changes, calling them a "death sentence for many families." As well as reducing the curfew for clubs and bars, the new law will force all terrace bars to close by midnight, an hour later than originally planned.
"This will mean the death and ruin of the West End, and it'll extend the party and the drinking throughout the rest of the town during the early hours," said Josep Tur, president of the association of West End business owners. Speaking on behalf of the area's many British owners, Martin Makepeace called it "a disaster," adding that "the young Brits will now be able to eat and drink until much later in their own towns than in San Antonio, so why would they leave the UK?"
For Valdés, meanwhile, the law signifies a first step towards "realising that a different San Antonio is possible and that one can live and run any kind of business, but in a respectful way."
The substantial reforms have been looming over the popular party strip since late 2017, when the local council revealed that noise levels in the area had peaked at 20 dB above the lawful limit.
Watch a video of the business owners' angry responses to the news.