The tables and chairs have occupied 36 ORA parking spaces, which will be the first to be reviewed when the restrictions due to the pandemic disappear
Murcia City Council has “the vocation” to maintain the vast majority of the 490 new terraces that it has authorized in the municipality to reactivate the hospitality sector affected by the restrictions due to the pandemic, of which 36 occupy parking spaces of the ORA. These are the first to be studied to see if they are still active, although they are the most likely to be eliminated.
The Councilor for Public Roads, Juan Fernando Hernández, explained yesterday that the terraces that occupy parking areas were authorized “very exceptionally” and that his department will study case by case when they remit the restrictions to the hospitality industry, since the health authorities still follow without allowing the opening of the bars inside the establishments, for example.
“Our intention is that they can continue to be active in the future, as the Department of Urban Quality has taken special care, when authorizing them, so that they do not affect the mobility of pedestrians – blocking the crossings – nor have any possible repercussions on the environment, “said the mayor, adding that parameters such as security and accessibility had also been taken into account. In the last point, he referred to the noises that these terraces can cause, which impede the neighborhood rest.
“In any case, if during the future review we verify that we have been able to ‘escape’ some and are causing annoyances, it will be seen how the problem is solved,” said Hernández, who announced that next week several councilors will maintain a meeting with representatives of the Murcia hospitality sector to address this and other issues raised by this group.
“We will see with them what are the future needs that their associates may raise and we will address them to find the most satisfactory solution for all,” said the councilor, recalling that there are currently almost a thousand open in the municipality (neighborhoods and districts) of terraces in bars and restaurants that occupy the public thoroughfare.
Of the 490 new authorizations, 269 did not exist prior to the pandemic and another 182 are extensions of terraces already implemented. In addition, 39 changes of ownership have been authorized (25 in the city and the rest in the districts). The increase has occurred mainly in pedestrian areas (326), followed by parking spaces (111, of which 36 are in the blue zone) and, finally, in green spaces (14).
«We involve the sector and each of the owners of the premises to facilitate the presentation and registration of files, since the public thoroughfare has a very special legal regime and security, accessibility, traffic and circulation must be addressed of the spaces under the specific local, regional, national and European regulations ”, concluded the responsible councilor.
Lorca: “We have a bonus planned for 2022”
Throughout this year 2021, hoteliers have not had to pay for the occupation of their public road terraces, which has reduced the income of the municipal coffers by around 1.3 million euros, when adding the total exemption of this year with the 50% discount for the second half of 2020. A nod to the sector that the hotelier group expects the Murcia City Council to maintain next year. The Councilor for Economic Management, Enrique Lorca, commented yesterday that the new proposal for bonuses planned by his department for 2022 will be exposed to hoteliers at the meeting scheduled for next week.
«Yes, we have something studied, but we need to outline it with them; I am sure that you will find our proposal interesting because it is not a ‘standard’ initiative; sure they find it interesting, “said the councilor, without wanting to advance any details. “What we have clear is that the City Council is going to support the sectors that have experienced the worst in the pandemic,” he said.
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