The Municipal Council of Funchal, in Madeira, has approved the new Regulation on Opening Hours for Noisy Establishments and Activities.

The proposal received favourable votes from the PSD/CDS-PP coalition, which has six councillors, and abstention from the Confiança coalition, led by the PS, indicated Mayor Cristina Pedra.

“We reached the end with a great consensus”, highlighted the mayor, in statements after the weekly meeting of the municipal executive, saying that the president of ACIF (Commercial and Industrial Association of Funchal - Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madeira) has already publicly considered that the document is balanced.

The regulation, which aims to reduce the opening hours of commercial establishments, particularly terraces, at night, in order to reduce noise and ensure that residents can rest, was presented by the Council in October and, in the meantime, is subject to changes after consulting business owners and the general public.

The public consultation period recorded 133 participations, of which 92% came from individuals and 8% from companies.

Of the 133 submissions, 75 were generic, 51 addressed specific topics and seven presented recommendations for improving or changing the proposal.

The document is divided between the general regime and the regime applied to three specific areas of the city, classified as: Historic Center, Old Zone, Rua das Fontes and Calçada de São Lourenço.

In all cases, establishments that have terraces must close them 30 minutes before the commercial space closes.

The proposed schedules vary according to the area and type of establishment, with cases in which the schedule is maintained and others in which there are reductions that can be up to three hours in relation to what is currently defined.

Bars and restaurants

In the case of bars and restaurants, which can close until 2am, two operating periods are proposed for those three specific areas: one from Sunday to Thursday and another for Fridays, Saturdays and the day before holidays.

Between Sunday and Thursday, bars and restaurants can operate between 6 am and midnight in the Historic Center and Old Town, and between 6am and 2am on Rua das Fontes and Calçada de São Lourenço.

On Fridays, Saturdays and the day before public holidays, they must close at 1:00 am in the Historic Center and Old Town, and on Rua das Fontes and Calçada de São Lourenço they can close at 3:00 am, later than currently the case.

The city council decided to slightly extend the hours allowed for the closing of bars and restaurants on Rua das Fontes and Calçada de São Lourenço in relation to what was foreseen in the initial proposal, while in the Historic Center and the Old Zone, there were no changes.

Restaurants and bars with licensed dance spaces can operate until 3am on Rua das Fontes and Calçada de São Lourenço and in the other two areas until 2am.

In other parts of the city (general regime), some changes are also planned, namely in bars and restaurants in residential buildings, which close at midnight. In other locations they can operate until 2:00am.

Commercial establishments selling alcoholic beverages, grocery stores, wine cellars and convenience stores, which can currently operate between 6:00 and 2:00, must now close at 23:00 according to the local authority's proposal and, if they are in residential buildings, at 22:00.

Food and beverage establishments with licensed dance spaces, discotheques, nightclubs and similar establishments must close at 06:00 and, if they are in residential buildings, at 01:00.

Furthermore, the regulation provides that padel, tennis and similar courts close at 10:30 pm, whereas in the previous regulation proposal it was at 10 pm.