Christian Peregin
4 a.m. Paceville music curfew is 'harming' business - owners
Clubs were breaking the law - mayor
The GRTU is lobbying for the closing time to be extended to sunrise. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli
Paceville club owners claim that business has been dealt a major blow - even though the police are merely enforcing a 4 a.m. music curfew introduced years ago.
Several businessmen told The Sunday Times they lost between 30 and 40 per cent of revenue since the crackdown started in the first week of April. They also claim it has fuelled the popularity of underground parties.
The newly enforced regulation forces even soundproofed venues to switch off their music by 4 a.m., a move which has been welcomed by Paceville residents.
The president of GRTU's Hospitality Division, Philip Fenech, argued that if a nightclub is soundproofed or does not disturb the neighbours, it should not be forced to switch off music before clients leave.
Mr Fenech also said that many local clubbers were choosing to party in private residences, unlicensed premises, or clubs that played "hide and seek" with the law.
John Tanti, a nightclub owner, said this move had frustrated many clubbers who were now seeking alternative venues.
"The police are doing their job. But this law is pushing people away from Paceville," Mr Tanti said.
Nobby Vella, another nightclub owner, explained that the law aimed to entice clubbers to go to Paceville earlier, but insisted that changing the party culture was close to impossible.
"I don't think partying should go on till 10 or 11 a.m., but if we want to compete with other clubbing destinations we cannot afford to stop at 4 a.m.," Mr Vella said.
Other club owners agreed, saying that the older generation would rather go to Paceville when the 16 to 18 age group departed, and that due to late work shifts some people hit the clubs after 2 a.m.
Dorian Dalli, who also runs a popular nightclub in the area, said the number of Maltese clubbers in Paceville had reduced significantly.
"But this is not necessarily a result of the enforcement. We'll see what happens after September," he said.
Mr Dalli suggested that new licences should be issued for clubs to stay open later if they were soundproofed and not disruptive to neighbours.
Mr Fenech explained that this regulation was implemented years ago in order to have a cut-off point.
The GRTU is lobbying for the closing time to be extended to sunrise, arguing that this would be a good compromise between the 4 a.m. restriction and the 'no-limit' culture the government was uncomfortable with.
Meanwhile, young people are also protesting about this law on a Facebook group that was set up at the beginning of summer. Over 1,700 people have joined the group entitled 'Paceville Curfew: Yes? No? Let's make a change!'.
But Paceville residents, who fought for this enforcement together with the local council, argue that having people swarm out of the area so late is a nightmare.
Karl Gouder, deputy mayor of St Julian's, told The Sunday Times that if clubs used to stay open later, they were breaking the law anyway, and their extra profits were not a justification of this.
"We are trying to reintroduce some decency and discipline to Paceville, and finally we are getting there," said Mr Gouder, adding that all laws should be enforced.
Enforcement in Paceville on other issues was received well by most Paceville businessmen, including the introduction of CCTV surveillance and the ban of alcohol consumption and glass containers in the streets.
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15 Comments
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A. Antochi
Nov 23rd 2008, 18:00
I am amused by the blind sight that is spread around the people who are talking about "Obey the law" , "Paceville brings only evil among young people" . Lately as i know as a certain fact cause i was in these places , clubs/underground parties are being run in Malta but not St. Julians where they are forced to close at 4a.m. And i saw there abuse of everything that's illegal by all ways. It's quite simple and real . Malta/Paceville it's not Ibiza and by allowing a law who closes down all the venues at 4a.m. in about 2-3 years people (Spanish,Italians) ,who are the main tourism income for all St. Julians (council/residents/people) not only club owners , will decide to chose another country for their holiday cause of the "last bad holiday in MT" . I am not maltese , but this is actually the big picture. And closing an area of entretaiment for the sake of a few residents , but making a major deficit to the MT income overall it's not such a splenid ideea.
My 2 cents.
V Farrugia
Sep 1st 2008, 10:33
Mr Martin Pace, what about shift workers? Don't they have the right to entertainment after 4a.m.? Imposing a curfew on adults is unthinkable in this world. Please grow up.
J Farrugia
Sep 1st 2008, 08:08
The point is that the GRTU is appearing irresponsible in requesting more time for the louts. And what about the residents? Is Philip Fenech ready to give them their' homes' value so that they can go find someplace else, so as not to disturb them? No. the GRTU (read Philip Fenech) is wrong about this whole issue. There is the law and the law is to be obeyed, no matter what, otherwise it is anarchy. and we are already seeing enough of it, from it-tarzna to the church. enough of this 'social mongering' brood.
Dr Paul Sant Cassia
Sep 1st 2008, 04:59
Full marks to the local Council for trying to represent the residents' interests, not those of the GRTU, whose only interests are their own hungry cash registers. Why not introduce business rates as in the UK, and slap on hefty taxes on the establishments? Most countries have local Council taxes, the the greater the pollution, inconvenience, income, the greater the tax.
Antoine Vella
Aug 31st 2008, 22:22
@Mark Spiteri
Yes, strange though it might seem to you, Local Councillors represent the residents only. Where did you get the idea that the Local Council should not take sides in such an issue ? they have to take sides and rightly took the side of the residents.
C. Buttigieg
Aug 31st 2008, 18:39
People keep coming up with the comments about drugs and sex and all the rest but in reality it is not just found in Paceville, they are all around us. So do we want to shut all the Venues down?? What we should be tryijng to do is make the place a safer cleaner place for our children and not shut it down. People, especially teenagers like to party and if we manage to kill paceville there will always be another location. Paceville did not exist when I was in my teens but we still partied ..... and got into trouble.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 31st 2008, 17:45
@ Mr Bonnici - You seem to be quite specialised in things going on at Paceville. But I hate to say this: I think you generalise!
e. bonnici
Aug 31st 2008, 15:23
S.A.D
Sex seekers, alcohol seekers, drugs seekers and food, forms 99.9 % of what all visitors of Paceville are after. Imagine what a cleaner and healthier society we have with out Paceville. Practically nothing good comes out of Paceville.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 31st 2008, 14:27
@ Mark Spiteri - A member of the Local Council is elected by the residents of the locality. Therefore, his primary concern is the well-being of the said residents.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 31st 2008, 14:25
On the other hand, I think that the comment of Mr Martin Pace requires further substantiating. How can you speak so generally?
N.Azzopardi
Aug 31st 2008, 13:31
@Franco Farrugia.
You should bear in mind that what you called sleazy area, is where thousands of people earn their living, thousands of euro are collected through VAT and Income Tax, not to mention the hefty electricity bills, permits etc. In this area most of the clubs are soundproofed and there are only a few residents left. Young people being local and foreign have to have a place of entertainment, and this is not something that we don't see abroad. Every country have an entertainment area, so why all this fuss here. Regarding Mr. Calleja's mentioning of competition, I can assure you that there is. Some of the places sell their alcohol same price as in villages or sports clubs, but do not expect to have cheap prices all round, where some of the clubs have invested thousand if not millions of euros in their establishments. One can have a drink or spends an evening in a luxury place full air conditioned, nice music and served with an excellent service. If you do not want this kind of atmosphere then one can buy and drink some beer at home in front of TV. That is the cheapest way out.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 31st 2008, 11:21
It seems that Paceville club owners want the cake and eat it. They were happy about the alcohol ban in the streets, and now they want to remain open 24/24. Surelyl, they are expecting far too much after having literally reduced a beautiful suburb such as Paceville, into a sleazy area.
Mark Spiteri
Aug 31st 2008, 11:18
Karl,you form part of a council which should not take sides.
Do you just represent residents only ? Get your priorities right before you even bother to comment.
Read the Heading "Curfew Harming Buisness".
Is this healthy for The St Julians (Mecca of Entertainment) Local Council ?
Having places of entertainment saying that they are down by 30 / 40% should worry you.
Claude Calleja
Aug 31st 2008, 11:13
"Enforcement in Paceville on other issues was received well by most Paceville businessmen, including the introduction of CCTV surveillance and the ban of alcohol consumption and glass containers in the streets."
Of course it is, it removes crucial competition and ensures that their sky high prices be paid.
Martin Pace
Aug 31st 2008, 10:49
It is fact that the number of hours which any normal being can 'enjoy' themselves on a night out is around four hours,after that, boredom and tiredness start to set in. Therefore 4 a.m closing is far more than enough time for people to go out and have fun.
Those who have the energy to stay out later than that are probably drunk or else on drugs. Is this something that the bar owners want to encourage?