Lisbon city council to tighten noise, night time opening rules
Portugal Resident
Quality of life in city “jeopardised by unregulated growth of nightlife”
Lisbon city council intends to present a new municipal regulation on noise and the opening hours of commercial establishments, particularly those at night, Joana Oliveira e Costa, councillor for the Economy and Innovation has announced.
“It will go to a town hall meeting quickly, we’re organising ourselves and it is one of the fundamental issues and one of my priorities,” she said.
Ms Oliveira e Costa was speaking at a joint hearing of the 1st and 2nd committees of the Lisbon Municipal Assembly, on the subject of the city’s proposed budget for 2025, totalling €1.359 billion.
The issue of opening hours of commercial establishments operating in nighttime entertainment areas, and the noise caused, was raised by the president of Misericórdia Parish Council, Carla Madeira (PS), a municipal councillor by virtue of her position.
“Quality of life has been jeopardised by the unregulated growth of the nightlife. We have safety problems in Cais do Sodré and on the waterfront. There is no will to mitigate them,” she said.
In response, Joana Oliveira e Costa recognised what she called the ‘imbalance’ between the activity of nighttime establishments and residents’ quality of life in their areas.
“The night-time economy has worsened and we have no illusions whatsoever about this imbalance when it comes to the issue of noise measured inside establishments. That’s one of the issues we have taken care of in this new project,” she said.
The new municipal regulations – promised “soon” – will also regulate the opening hours of commercial establishments, and be “essential for clarifying” some issues that currently raise doubts.
“It’s a way of trying to clarify the issue of noise, make the rules clearer and how commercial establishments should be authorised and equipped,” said Oliveira e Costa.
During the hearing yesterday – also attended by deputy mayor of Lisbon Filipe Anacoreta Correia (CDS-PP) – the city council’s leadership also emphasised the importance of tourism for the city and the tourist tax, which has recently doubled, making it the most expensive tourist tax in the country.
This was the last municipal budget of the current PSD/CDS-PP mandate (2021-2025), which governs Lisbon without an absolute majority. If approved, it will be implemented in a municipal election year.
The first three budgets were approved due to the PS abstaining, with the rest of the opposition – PCP, BE, Livre and Cidadãos Por Lisboa (elected by the PS/Livre coalition) – voting against.
Source: LUSA
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