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VALENCIA

No loud music or shouting: Spain’s Valencia wages war on noise 

Valencia, the city with arguably the world's noisiest festival (Las Fallas), wants to pass an anti-noise bylaw which will punish everything from playing loud music at the beach, to shouting in the street or chiming church bells at the wrong time. 

Published: 20 February 2023 11:30 CET
No loud music or shouting: Spain's Valencia wages war on noise 
People gather to watch the traditional and very noisy 'Mascletà' (firecrackers show) during the Fallas festival in Valencia. (Photo by JOSE JORDAN / AFP)

Valencia authorities want their city to become a quieter place for residents and visitors, even though for a few days every year its Mascletà firecrackers tradition (part of Las Fallas festival) sees decibel levels reach highs of 120db that represent a health hazard for babies and animals in particular. 

During its plenary session on Thursday February 23rd, Valencia City Hall expects to implement a pre-approved bylaw which includes a wide array of acoustic prohibitions and limitations.

Playing a musical instrument too loudly, shouting or talking at an excessively loud volume, moving furniture or other belongings, having the TV’s volume up too high, playing loud music on a phone or speaker in public spaces such as the beach, using noisy machinery such as drills or appliances like washing machines at the wrong time, preventing church bells from chiming between 10pm and 8am or limiting the volume of music that can be played at bar terraces and nightclubs are just some of the limitations that are expected to be brought in.

Fines for these acoustic pollution offences will go from €601 to €6,000.

The legislation will also purportedly prevent new bars and restaurants from opening closer than 30 metres from other similar venues in residential areas of the city, 65 metres for pubs and nightclubs, a big ask in a country where blocks of flats and hospitality venues are all tightly packed together.   

Valencia’s Councillor for Air and Acoustic Quality Giuseppe Grezzi has said that “the contributions made by neighbourhood associations have had a special weight in the set of rules” that make up the updated bylaw.  

The eastern Spanish city of 800,000 residents has had a set of noise limitations in place since 1991 and people and businesses have been fined accordingly, but in neighbourhoods such as the Casco Antiguo (old quarter) residents stress that not enough is being done to clamp down on excessive noise.

It’s not the first time that a Spanish city has attempted to crack down on noisy behaviour. 

In 2014, Seville went as far as banning noisy domino and dice games in outdoor café areas.

Authorities in the Balearic islands of Mallorca and Ibiza have also tried to clamp down on the noise caused by rowdy party boats navigating around its coastline.  

In 2021, Spain was ranked as the noisiest country on the planet together with Japan. The two countries have been switching top spot over the past decade, fighting over who can be the most ear-splitting for its residents.

Around nine million people in Spain are exposed to noise levels above 65 decibels, the recommended threshold by the WHO.

READ ALSO: Which is the noisiest city in Spain?

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PROPERTY

Spain’s Valencia reduces IBI property tax for 700,000 homeowners

Valencia City Hall has announced that it will reduce the IBI property tax bill by at least 20 percent for at least 70,000 property owners in the city, meaning the average homeowner will pay €72.50 less a year.

Published: 7 May 2024 09:47 CEST
Spain's Valencia reduces IBI property tax for 700,000 homeowners

IBI (Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles) is similar to council tax bill in the UK, but is only paid once per year. How much you pay depends on the value and location of your home. Generally, it’s paid by homeowners only, not tenants. 

Valencia City Hall have said that 99 percent of residents will benefit from the lower rates, saving them a combined total of €70 million.

READ ALSO: What is Spain’s IBI tax and how do I pay it?

The Councillor for the Treasury and first deputy mayor, María José Ferrer San Segundo, has denounced “the fiscal hell to which the previous government subjected its citizens to for eight years”, and has celebrated that “the important respite that has finally arrived for the residents of this city, thanks to the reduction in taxes and rates approved by the government of mayor, María José Catalá”.

In real terms, it will mean an average reduction of €72.50 per household, which represents a total saving of €70 million as a result of the 20 percent reduction in the general tax rate.

IBI bonuses have already been applied to large families with reductions of 60 percent for those in the general category and 90 percent for those in the special category. In total, the 3,800 large families that pay IBI taxes in Valencia will be able to benefit from these measures.

“This is money that will stay in the pockets of Valencians and that will also contribute to further energising the economy and promoting job creation,” Ferrer said.

Other taxes besides the IBI will also be reduced in Valencia include the Vehicle Tax with an average reduction in rates of 8.5 percent. The reduction affects all types of vehicles and will mean a total saving of €2,082,542.40.

The capital gains tax for inheritance from relatives will also be reduced by the legal maximum of 95 percent, regardless of the cadastral value of the property.

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