The terrace as it once was. | Elena Ballestero

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A complaint against the now former mayor of Pollensa, Tomeu Cifre, that was registered with the courts in Inca in 2021 by a Puerto Pollensa restaurant owner has still to be resolved.

In October 2021, Santiago Camarote denounced Cifre after his restaurant's terrace on the beach was sealed off by the local police. He argued that this damaged the image of his business and went on to say that the ex-mayor had insulted him (Cifre later apologised) and had been acting in a discriminatory fashion - other establishments were shown different treatment.

In May last year, he followed up his first complaint with another. Town hall workers and police had been sent in and removed the terrace. He said at the time: "They took all my belongings from the premises when it was closed. They have not returned anything to me and I do not know where they are."

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The town hall sealed off the terrace, citing the law of business activities. The terrace didn't have an activity licence, and Cifre explained that the town hall could not allow a "precedent" of installing a terrace on the beach without one. He also said that the Costas Authority had told the town hall that it could act in the way that it did because the Costas had not given permission for the terrace.

Camarote maintains that Almudena Domínguez, head of the Costas in the Balearics, had spoken to him and told him that the town hall had no jurisdiction to seal the terrace.

Cifre is now the deputy mayor for urban planning. He will be running again as mayor in May and believes that renewed attention to the court investigation is because of the election. In his view, the there is no mileage to the investigation. "We merely complied with our obligation as an authority to remove a terrace without a licence."