It was from Friday to Saturday that another episode adds to the history of noise in the Old Town. The Public Security Police and an inspection team from the Funchal City Council (CMF) carried out a joint operation of the nightlife spaces in the Old Town of the Madeiran capital. All establishments that did not respect the regulation were forced to stop the fun. As soon as the alert was given, the comments on the networks ‘boiled’, raising the issue again. “Is it true that the CMF is preparing to change the opening hours of bars and entertainment venues in different areas of the city?”
And the answer is: Yes!, It’s true!
The Municipality of Funchal, through its president and the councilor responsible for urban planning, have already publicly stated on several occasions, the last of which at the Municipal Assembly on February 24th, that the CMF is working on a new timetable regulation operation of catering and beverage establishments, trade in goods, provision of services or storage in the Municipality of Funchal.
This regulation intends to adapt the noise law, and the municipality is on the ground surveying the situations and listening to the people in order to create a regulation based on “the right to residence, commercial activity and catering”.
“A regulation different from the one that has existed since 2015, which allows commercial establishments to have free opening hours”, said Pedro Calado at the time during the ordinary session of the Municipal Assembly, which took place at the Parish Council of Santa Maria Maior.
“The Old Town, historical place of the city, cannot be a centrality for nightlife”, added the mayor considering that the objective is to solve this situation as soon as possible, assuming that the current situation is “unsustainable”.
In October 2021, Funchal City Council was sent a petition with around 120 signatures from residents in which compliance with the legislation was requested.
Some parties also demanded an intervention from the City Hall, noting that they have received numerous complaints regarding the “infernal noise in the Old Town, where residents have been complaining for years about the excessive noise that results from the bars not closing at the hours defined by law and surveillance on the public road of citizens in lively gatherings, often accompanied by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages”.