The terraces of bars and restaurants have become a symbol in Madrid since the start of the pandemic. For better or for worse, depending on ideology or taste, these spaces have made possible the massiveness of customers in a hotel business that had to see how its interiors were declared for a long time. Hence the importance of the one that regulates them in the capital, approved by the City Council led by José Luis Martínez Almeida, with entry into force on February 1.
The terraces have a new legal framework in which to move in Madrid, since the consistory has given the go-ahead to the reform of the text that has been maintained since the time of Ana Botella (2013). More if possible due to the specializations that the entry of the coronavirus has created in this area, in which it seeks to promote outdoor spaces, many of those established especially for will have to say goodbye to being able to be annoying due to their space or environment.
And it is that this is one of the particularities of the new regulations, since it allows more tables and chairs to be placed… although always depending on the location. Reducing the distances between one and the other, the text includes the width of a sidewalk from its curb to the façade, so it does not take into account furniture objects such as trees or lampposts that were counted before and reduced the distances.
Madrid creates the figure of “terrace manager” to eliminate problems with neighbors
In addition, it is more lax with high tables, terraces around municipal markets and terraces in pedestrianized streets at different times of the week, although not so with food trucks that have not been taken into account for the drafting of the text, despite the insistence of certain sectors of the hospitality industry.
Finally, the go-ahead has also been given to the ban on combustion stoves from 2024, so during these two years hoteliers will have to adapt to the colder times. In addition, Almeida has forced the creation of the figure of “terrace manager” who will be in charge of solving problems with neighbors or between clients due to space or noise.
What about the covid terraces in Madrid?
But if the new text is especially important for something, it is because of the situation with the so-called covid terraces, which enjoyed special services during the harshest time of the pandemic. Up to 2,000 special authorizations were granted by the City Council that must now disappear or adapt to the new reality.
The majority on parking bands, from February 1, only those that are in (ZPAE) that are located in the districts of Azca (Tetuán) and Gaztambide (Chamberí) must be removed. The new text also affects the so-called ‘saturated areas’, for which each district board must study these days to determine which premises it affects.
These are the terraces that must be closed in Madrid
These last areas will be confirmed in a period of two months and their terraces will mainly be reduced if the tables occupy at least 33% of a sidewalk of six meters or less, or 40% of one of more than six meters. Along with this, a saturated area must also have an influx of 33 people per minute or be within a radius of 150 meters above a residence for the elderly, a health center with hospitalization or an emergency service.
For their part, the rest of the terraces on parking strips are granted a period until December 31, 2023 (if the elections of that year do not change the regulations) so that they remain with customers.
These are the new hours of the terraces in Madrid
In another sense, the new text also regulates the hours on which a terrace can operate. Less permissive than the norm that existed until now, the terraces in Madrid must close, at the latest, at 00:00 except in the summer period -from March to October-, which may be until 1:00 from Monday to Thursday and until 1:30 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
The terraces on bands must always close, at the latest, at 00:00 and if the district board declares it, they could have to do it at 23:00. The disassembly tasks, it is noted, must begin before these hours.
These are the fines for problematic terraces
A new text to order the chaos that had been generated in many spaces with the terraces and that will also, for this reason, be stricter with the fines. From 750 to 3,000 euros, depending on the offense, an establishment could be closed for up to a year if it accumulates two very serious or three serious sanctions.
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