The heat is on Palma City Council. Not only is the temperature rising but so too are tensions amongst retailers and residents.
Residents in Santa Catalina have just launched a campaign to try and reduce the level of noise at night from the bars and restaurants while the Jaime III neighbourhood association has taken similar action to calm things down at night along the Paseo Mallorca.
In fact, the Jaime III district is very much in the eye of the storm.
A recent announcement by city hall that the area, which includes some of the city centre’s most popular and expensive shopping streets, is going to become a “resident only” parking zone.
Retailers are furious over the announcement and have taken their complaint right to the very heart of city hall.
Emerging from the pandemic, retailers in general need all the support they can get, they certainly don’t need obstacles as they try to get back on their feet and recuperate the millions of euros lost over the past 18 months.
And, yesterday, the Bulletin received a number of calls from residents in other parts of the city, in particular the old town, pointing out that it is not only Santa Catalina and the Paseo Mallorca where residents are having to put up with excess noise and that there are areas planning similar protests and campaigns.
Looks like it’s going to a long hot summer for Palma city council if they don’t sort things out.