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Ibiza businesses appeal to council against changes in noise pollution laws

60 business owners in San Antonio have collectively spoken out against planned 3am closing times for clubs in the area...

Ibiza business owners have gathered to speak out against San Antonio council's decision to implement earlier closing times for clubs in the area.

The 60 gathered businessess have said that for the local council to enforce a law that see clubs closing several hours earlier than previously would be at the cost of jobs for many. As reported in Diario De Ibiza, club owners have said that such a law could be a "death sentence for many families and small businesses". 

They went on to say that "closure of businesses, the shortening of the tourist season to just one month and the direct loss of more than 300 jobs". This new law would see outdoor terrace bars having to shut by 11pm and clubs in the area having to close by 3am as opposed to 5am or 6am in the summer. 

The new regulation, is just one of the ways in which local Ibiza councils have aimed to reduce noise polution on the island, with decibel restrictions being implemented in venues in San Antonio since last October.

In their statement, businesses who will affected by the new closure times said that this law can only be a "temporary solution" and is not a realistic fix to any problem. "[This law] has no precedent in similar tourist zones in Spain," they said. "Not even orders approved by the local governments of Manuela Carmena (Madrid council) or Ada Colau (Barcelona council) are this strict.. once our businesses are shut for the night, will force the party to move down to the beaches or to nearby streets. The problem will only be displaced, not properly dealt with." 

Along wth their statement, the business owners (who not only include club owners but also owners of bars and shops) suggested alternative measures that would help combat noise pollution, including increasing security and more strictly adhering to soundproofing standards previously imposed by the council. 

This is by no means the first action to be taken by Ibiza councils in wake of challenges brought by the island's huge tourist sector. For instance, short term accommodation through platforms like Airbnb will be severely restricted in Ibiza this year. One law implemented last year sought to limit the number of tourists that visit the island altogether while, on the positive side, disposable plastics will be completely banned  from the island's beaches from 2020.