Bars in Barcelona's Born neighbourhood are demanding the city council cease threats of earlier closing times and instead establish a working group to address noise levels collaboratively. This ongoing dispute centres on proposed restrictions affecting around twenty establishments and their terraces in the popular area.
The conflict, which has been ongoing for over a year, intensified after the Ciutat Vella district launched an anti-noise pollution plan last spring. This plan, according to La Vanguardia Barcelona, proposed reducing operating hours by up to two hours for affected businesses. The council argued that noise meters recorded levels exceeding 65 decibels in the early hours, violating environmental ordinances and disrupting residents' rest.
Consequently, the council warned businesses that if noise levels did not decrease by 5 decibels within nine months, their closing times would be brought forward by an hour. A further hour's reduction would follow if the situation did not improve after another nine months.
The businesses countered that the city council's own statistics indicated that the primary source of disturbance for residents was individuals consuming alcohol bought from street vendors on benches, rather than the bars themselves. They cited municipal plan data showing a rise in police reports related to street drinking parties, illegal street vending, and associated noise, from 233 in 2023 to 680 in 2024. Reports of shouting, music, and fights in public spaces also increased from 41 to 47 during the same period.
Legal Challenges and Renewed Dispute
In response to the proposed restrictions, the Barcelona Restaurant Guild (Gremi de Restauració de Barcelona) filed an administrative appeal. The guild recounted that as the city council prepared to dismiss their objections and definitively approve the measure in July 2025, the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) annulled a 2022 amendment to the environmental ordinance. This annulment, according to the guild, invalidated the designation of Born promenade and its surroundings as a special acoustic regime zone (ZARE).
Restaurateurs in the area had hoped that Mayor Jaume Collboni's administration would then seek alternative methods to improve coexistence. However, at the beginning of this year, the city council initiated a new process, opening a fresh file to reintroduce its controversial measure from scratch.
Call for Dialogue Amidst Uncertainty
"We have been waiting for two months for the city council to respond to our objections to the new file," the guild stated, adding, "We still do not know if they intend to forget about this matter or definitively approve their new file. We are willing to work with the city council and try, as far as possible, to improve security around the premises to reduce noise levels. But we have no idea of their plans."
Some restaurateurs expressed suspicion regarding the council's stance, questioning whether the administration intends to implement these restrictions just months before the next municipal elections. La Vanguardia Barcelona sought clarification from the city council regarding its plans, but officials responded that it was "still too early to detail them."
The future of operating hours for Born bars remains uncertain as the city council has yet to outline its next steps following the new administrative process. Businesses are urging for a collaborative approach to noise reduction, emphasising their willingness to engage in dialogue to find mutually agreeable solutions for the upcoming summer season.
