Busy Tiki with customers spilling onto the road

According to a Police report, complaints about noise levels - in particular along the Levante seafront area, have soared from 3% to 30% - threatening to escalate to the levels of the nineties, when control levels were virtually non existent. The implementation of sound limiters in bars and clubs saw the levels drop dramatically in 2009. But since 2011 the number of complaints have mushroomed. The two main factors which have contributed to these figures are flouting of the closing times and the implementation of the tough anti-smoking law, which came into effect in Spain on 2nd January 2011- outlawing smoking in all bars and restaurants. When anti-smoking rules were first introduced in Spain in 2006, bar and restaurant owners could choose whether or not to allow it, and most chose NOT in impose it fearing a drop in business.

Spain has a strong cafe culture and many local authorities allowed bars to put tables and chairs on the pavements - and in some towns they have even extended the seating area into the road. Obviously the bars must have to pay a licence fee for this, but in areas where there is no income from parking tickets then this is extra revenue for the council.

Benidorm has 1250 registered leisure facilities, broken down into 570 bars, 300 restaurants, 160 disco pubs, 136 coffee shops, 29 nightclubs and 29 gambling halls plus an additional 26 which do not fall into any of those categories. With those numbers you´d be hard pushes not to find something you like! But the noise levels coming from many of the bars on the front, in particular those that have live music have resulted in an unprecedented flood of complaints from locals. Many of the blocks directly above bars such as Daytona, Heartbreak and Tiki Beach are residential - and up to a point you can understand their frustration, particularly in the hot summer months when windows are left open.

It must be a complex situation for the police too - trade is reliant on customers and it is difficult for bar staff to control noise levels from customers who are merely talking and laughing, particularly during the day. But Benidorm is a tourist resort and without holidaymakers, particularly the Brits, it would struggle. The Spanish are not generally known for frequenting bars especially if they come on an All Inclusive - they tend to stay in their hotels with the "I´ve already paid" attitude. The rise of All Inclusive hotels is also very damaging to locals businesses and they have to do all they can to attract trade.

Surprisingly Benidorm has been refused tourist status by Madrid, which would have benefited the resort with extra funding - the opposition PP Party failed to support the motion and the whole thing has been put on the back burner. Obviously the big wigs in Madrid have never left their ivory towers.... perhaps once all the conflicting parties decide to agree on something which will benefit the town we will have progress - but that´s the nature of politics!