Palma City Council has started withdrawing the terrace permits of bars and restaurants that put out too many tables and chairs.
Only two permits have been withdrawn so far, but others are being processed, according to Marcos Cañabate, General Director of the Interior Government, who stressed that between the moment an infraction is detected and the final phase, there is time to resolve the allegations against the affected person.
In principle, permits are temporarily withdrawn for a month, because that’s what’s stated in the ordinance, but repeat offenders could lose it permanently.
Many Palma residents have complained to the Federació d’Associations de Veïns about catering establishments with too many tables or where health and social distancing rules are being ignored.
"Most complaints are for the Santa Catalina district of the city, particularly Carrer de Sant Magí and Plaça de la Navegació, for having too many tables and chairs, not respecting the safety distance between tables or not wearing masks properly,” said Federation President, Joan Forteza.
He also stressed that the problems are not confined to Palma town centre, residents have also complained about excess capacity on terraces in Pere Garau and there are issues in other areas too.
"Many venues are failing to meet the new closing hours, especially establishments in Playa de Palma,” said Forteza.
Bar and restaurant owners will probably be allowed to extend their terraces into parking spaces outside their premises at least until the end of the year. The decree states that they can be kept in place if the health situation doesn’t improve, but a new decree would have to be issued for them to keep them in 2021.