Quesada Residents and Noise Abuse

Letters

Contributor / 2007-08-22 13:26:22

I just read in the Coastrider 31st July an article about the PP and GRIP party stopping the noise abuse that a large number of residents have to endure from a number of clubs here in Quesada. I would like to point out that the information is unfortunately incorrect. It was the old Mayor Antonio Garcia and Roque Trives that had the outside, so called music and entertainment (for the holiday makers) stopped, he felt that the residents who live here are far more important than holiday makers who are only here for a week or two.

The residents at the top of Quesada got together in May to form an action plan as the so called entertainment had already started in November; with outside line dancing, several keep fit classes, Salsa dancing, Ballroom dancing, and Aerobics, all of these to music with teachers/trainers shouting out orders through a microphone. Then we had the Auction this was for between three and a half hours and five hours, anyone living within a kilometer probably a lot more, could not escape the hideous drone of "one Euro do I hear two Euro" and so on, for anyone who lives near to it, it must have been horrendous.

They took their petition to the Mayor Antonio Garcia and Roque Trives who agreed this was noise pollution and would look into it. After a very quick monitoring of the situation the abuse was stopped. (It also turned out that the club had no licenses for any of these events) This situation lasted until the outcome of our elections. GRIP and the PP parties managed to form some kind of dubious alliance and took control of Rojales. Within a few weeks the music abuse was back with a vengeance, radio for ten hour a day, (10am till 8pm) outside entertainment three nights a week until twelve.

I have a question; why would the Mayor give clubs a license to abuse hundreds and hundreds of residents i.e. voters what do you think? Is there more to this? If so let me know your thoughts. We have been told that the noise levels should be kept to seventy decibels, but not one of the clubs to my knowledge has had a meter installed to monitor the sound they emit. Do the authorities monitor the sound levels? I would think not, if they were to do so most of the clubs would have lost their licenses by now.

Two residents from the area went to see the Mayor last week and were told that the situation was fine and everything is in hand, what do they mean by in hand? And fine, fine for whom? Certainly not the residents, but yes an excellent outcome for the bar owners, so here we are again, back to the radio ten hours a day (most communal pools have a no radio rule) seven days a week and outside live music three evenings, equating to twelve hours over the weekend plus the radio. (A total of fourteen hours Thursday, Friday and Saturday)

So I am sorry but the GRIP and PP party haven't helped us at all, in fact they have betrayed us 'the residents' (voters) who have the misfortune to live anywhere near to these bars. The Mayor reversed a decision that gave the people some peace from this endless, never ending noise. So GRIP and PP I am sure the handful of bar owners will vote for you again but make no mistake we, the residents, will not.

Anyone who would like to reply or to comment, regarding this letter please contact us at the email address given.

Noise_for_us @yahoo.co.uk