A bar in the middle of a residential neighbourhood in Paola has been granted a licence to remain open all night, despite a pending court case which followed complaints about noise from the establishment.
The Taboo Bar is located on Cospicua Road, an arterial thoroughfare dotted with commercial outlets, but residents fear the authorities have set a precedent that could turn their neighbourhood into an entertainment hotspot.
The bar was last December granted a licence to operate between 1am and 4am in spite of the fact the police were simultaneously taking court action against owner Chris Abela, following several complaints about the noise from a resident who lives close by.
What should I do after investing all this money, leave?
“I assumed the bar was operating all night illegally until I found out that he had actually been granted a permit,” a resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Sunday Times of Malta.
A Malta Tourism Authority official who testified in the same court case said “this was the first time” he had seen a permit for extension of business hours being granted outside Buġibba, Qawra and St Julian’s.
The licence is issued by the commerce department, which in turn consults the police.
Questions sent to the police’s press office remained unanswered at the time of writing. However, sources said the police did object originally to the permit before being challenged by Mr Abela and his lawyer, at which point, the recommendation changed and the objection was dropped.
The Commerce Department, on the other hand, failed to say why it had issued an all-night permit to a bar in a residential area, especially in light of the complaints made. Instead, the department pointed to a series of conditions attached to the permit, including that the extension of business hours does not automatically mean the bar can play music during these hours, because the owner needs a separate license for that. Moreover, “in the case of persistent breaches” the department may revoke the permit.
Residents, however, said this was of little consolation to them, insisting that the authorities have consistently given them a bureaucratic cold shoulder.
“The reality is that this bar now has a permit to operate around the clock,” one resident said, pointing out that besides the music, they had witnessed several fights that break out at all hours of the night.
“There are drunk people, swearing and shouting outside our door at 6am, it’s unbearable,” he said.
When contacted, owner Chris Abela was very forthcoming with information. He argued that since the court case started and even before that he spent thousands of euros to soundproof the establishment to contain the noise levels.
“When you walk into my bar you go through three doors, which makes sure the sound inside is not heard outside when people leave the place. What else do you want me to do?” he asked.
A court expert testified levels had been brought down to what is considered to be acceptable levels.
“I went through a four-year process to get this permit, I did everything the authorities asked and I was given the permit. What should I do after investing all this money, leave? This is my livelihood,” he said.