The Department of Costs of the Generalitat has prohibited the celebration of the Festival Arts d’Estiu on the Pins beach in Pineda de Mar (Maresme) scheduled between August 1 and 20. The City Council was already forced to reduce the planned performances from 17 to 12 because it failed to comply with the activity regulations and now, if the refusal persists, it will work “against the clock” to find “an alternative route to holding the festival”.
One of these alternatives could involve moving the Arts d’Estiu venues and the Village area to a coastal strip located further north, where there are no inhabited areas, although it is the municipality of Santa Susanna. In this sense, it should be remembered that the mayor of the neighboring town, Joan Campolier, already dismissed in his day continuing with the collaboration and ceding municipal land for parking vehicles and parallel activities, maintaining serious discrepancies with the direction of the festival. As La Vanguardia has learned, the meetings between the two town councils are being held and the conditions are being negotiated.
The City Council, in a statement, has regretted the denial of permits to hold the festival and has already requested an urgent meeting with the Costs department and the festival organizers to find a solution. It also informs that it has processed the request for space to celebrate the festival and that it has complied with all the requirements that the Department has been requesting during the processing.
The competent authority in the maritime-land area, has upheld the allegations of the residents of Bellamar and the resolution of the Ombudsman that advised against the location of the mass event on the beach. In parallel, the investigation is maintained in the Prosecutor’s Office at the request of the sonometric measurements carried out by the Mossos de Medi Ambient.
Throughout the year, the residents affected by the excess of musical acts on the Bellamar beach have reiterated their protests and presented allegations that more permits be granted for performances such as the Psycobilly festival or the celebration of barracks during the local festival, as well as the great Arts d’Estiu festival. The resolution of Costs affects that they can be held when there is no other option of location. In this sense, the Ombudsman also urged to preserve the rest of the neighbors.
In parallel, the department with powers in the maritime-land strip, notes that the documentation provided by the organization contained irregularities, such as the fact that the environmental impact study provided dated back to 2019, which does not “adjust to current legislation nor does it allow for the acoustic impact of the event to be analysed. In the same report, they highlight the existence of a municipal technical report that advises against granting the license that the City Council provisionally suspended.
According to the department of the Generalitat, last year a report had already been requested from the Pineda City Council to detail the actions aimed at alleviating excessive noise and warned that it could incur in an infraction that would lead to a disciplinary file or prevent permits for other musical activities on the beach, such as the music played by the beach bars.
On the other hand, eight months ago, the Department of Costs, required the mayor of Pineda, Xavier Amor, to comply with the regulations prior to granting the license for the festival. The neighbors had to be informed, in addition to opening the possibility to start the hearing procedures. In parallel, it was urged to request a report from the Department of Climate Action to analyze the acoustic impact.
Despite not having the authorization, the promoters of Arts d’Estiu began to announce the concerts and sell tickets, which already forced them to return the amount of the five concerts that have been cancelled. The City Council, however, suspended the granting of the license until it awaited the resolution of the Territories of the Generalitat, which finally did not authorize the occupation of the maritime-terrestrial domain.
In parallel, the municipal government reduces the number of performances by Arts d’Estiu, limits the music to 00:00 and commissions a sonometric study, and also decides to transfer other musical activities to other locations to free the residents of Bellamar.
