02/07/2013 00:00
TW
0
Dear Sir, A RECENT letter highlighting the major noise pollution in Andratx Town continues with a breathtaking disregard for residents. Your previous reader complained bitterly about an open-air rock concert in the main town square that finished at 3:45am. The rock concert last Friday continued until 4:30am – starting at 8:00pm. The impact on anyone living close to these “concerts” is quite devastating. It is impossible to communicate without shouting loudly, listening to TV is not an option, a pounding headache from the incredible noise levels over almost 9 hours is guaranteed – and most sleep is impossible. I have a responsible job and need my wits about me. I was permitted less than 2 hours sleep by whoever granted the music licence until 4:30am.

There is nobody at Andratx Council remotely interested in residents concerns. Indeed, they insist we have our green wheely bins emptied at 2:30am each morning which involves rolling the bins down the streets to the square, the dust-van creating as much noise as humanly possible emptying them, then rolling the bins back to their original positions – each step 20 minutes apart to create maximum disruption. For the first three weeks of June we had a kiddies mini funfair installed in the precious parking spaces of the square (the road) – when the square itself remained empty. This ensured that the kiddies alighting the roundabout ride had to go straight into the road which remained open. Our electricity mains trip switch frequently switched off after the ride owners apparently patched themselves into the town's mains cables opposite the main square (unlike the rock bands who have huge twin diesel generators). With the funfair ride often open from 10am to 10pm, in order to cause maximum noise pollution, kiddie music played out, interrupted by a loud claxon to herald the start of the ride every 2 minutes. The term “siesta” does not exist in Andratx Town. I would like to find out who grants these rock concert music licences. I would find out where they live, then hire the band to play until 4:30am on their doorstep – I somehow think the outcome would be different!
Iain Master, Andratx Town