Mayor Defends Restricting Frankfurt Sausage Bar Terrace Amid Noise Complaints
La Seu d'Urgell mayor Joan Barrera upholds 10pm closure for the bar's terrace despite no similar actions elsewhere, citing excessive noise reports.
Key Points
- Mayor cites exceptional noise complaints, police calls, and sonometry test exceeding limits.
- Bar owners spent €10,000 on soundproofing and halted outdoor football screenings, but council deemed insufficient.
- Terrace exceeds dimensions, spilling into roads and parking; evidence includes photos, videos of late shouting.
- Owners argue lack of due process, constitutional violations; case now in judicial proceedings.
The mayor of La Seu d'Urgell, Joan Barrera, has defended a decision to curtail the outdoor terrace hours of a Frankfurt sausage bar in Plaça Codina, describing the case as an "outrage" amid persistent neighbour complaints.
Barrera acknowledged that no other terrace in the city has faced similar restrictions, despite complaints about other venues. He justified the October measure—requiring the terrace to close at 10pm instead of midnight—citing an exceptional volume of reports about noise and crowds. Complaints initially came via the ombudsman from one resident, accompanied by repeated police calls. Notices posted on nearby buildings then drew further protests, leading to two meetings with affected neighbours.
The town hall claims it repeatedly asked the owners for solutions before acting to "guarantee civic coexistence." The owners invested around €10,000 in soundproofing fabric and stopped screening televised football matches outdoors, but officials deemed it insufficient. The terrace also exceeds permitted dimensions, with tables and chairs spilling into public space, including roadsides, pavements, and adjacent parking spots, according to neighbours who shared photos, videos of shouting customers until 1:30am on weekdays, and police reports with the newspaper.
A key piece of evidence is a July sonometry test by the Catalan government, requested by a complainant, which found noise levels exceeding limits. The bar's lawyer disputes this, noting measurements at 11pm showed 62 decibels after adjustments from 55 at 10pm. She questions inconsistencies, such as claims of hearing clattering plates alongside loud voices, and notes tests at 2am when the venue was closed, amid neighbourhood festival noise and street drinking about 100 metres away. The defence argues the process lacked due procedure, breaching constitutional rights to defence by imposing restrictions without proper hearings or opportunities to contest, potentially grounds for nullity. The matter has now entered judicial proceedings, with owners warning of potential closure.
Barrera recognised broader tensions in La Seu d'Urgell between leisure rights, business viability, and neighbourly peace, admitting uncertainty over long-term solutions. The council insists it does not aim to ruin the business but to enforce regulations.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: