As of January 1, new zoning plans came into effect for certain parts of Palma. These regulate the occupation of the public way; in other words, the space used for bar and restaurant terraces.
In La Lonja, an area of the city where there have been residents' complaints about this occupation, the total space has been cut by over ten per cent. Whereas terraces used to occupy 25.95% of public space, they now have 14.46%, a reduction of some 120 square metres.
The director-general for the town hall's internal government department, Marcos Cañabate, suggests that La Lonja had become all but impassable. The councillor, Claudia Costa, adds that work on the zoning plan for Plaça Drassana and La Lonja started some eighteen months ago. It was carried out in consultation with residents and it is now "a reality".
Elsewhere, the zoning plan for C. Nuredduna has sought to ensure that there is plenty of space for pedestrians and for "social use". "We are committed to a balanced coexistence," says Costa. Limiting licences to a maximum of three bars or restaurants for every 50 metres has meant, she points out, that "no new applications for hospitality licences have been registered for Nuredduna".