The terraces in Girona must be collected before closing time and, to avoid noise and inconvenience to neighbors, the chains used to tie the furniture must have rubber or plastic coatings. These are two of the new features of the new terrace ordinance that will pass through the municipal plenary session this Monday.
The new document does not allow the presence of terraces attached to the facades and requires businesses to have a QR code so that customers can check their occupancy. Those who break the rules and cause coexistence problems, beyond the fine, will see the terrace's hours reduced, to the point that they may end up closed.
In this case, according to the Catalan News Agency (ACN), the City Council will remove tables and chairs, transfer them to the warehouse and make those responsible for the establishment pay the cost on a subsidiary basis.
"In the end there are people who find it worthwhile to pay a 150 euro fine because that day, with only two tables, they will have already reached that amount; on the other hand, if complying with the rule means being able to open the terrace for fewer hours or have it closed, that will have an exemplary effect," said councilor Cristina Andreu, deputy mayor for Urban Transformation, in statements reported by ACN.
Another novelty of the ordinance is the introduction of new spaces on public roads where it will be possible to place terraces as long as mobility and accessibility allow it.
From now on, bars and restaurants will be able to request a terrace on the road or occupying parking spaces, a practice that was already common, but is regulated with the new text. In these cases, establishments must install protections or a platform.
With this measure, the City Council wants to give options to those establishments located on very narrow sidewalks, guaranteeing coexistence between pedestrians and restaurant activity.
