PN to present House motion challenging legal notices extending music playing time in Valletta

The Nationalist Party will be presenting a motion in Parliament this afternoon calling on the government to reverse the legal notices introduced in the past week extending the time that establishments in certain streets in Valletta can play music.

The new regulations allow bars, restaurants and entertainment spots in the indicated streets in Valletta to continue playing music until 1am.

The streets for which the new rules apply are: Merchant Street, Old Bakery Street, Old Theatre Street, Republic Street, South Street, St Lucy Street, Strait Street, Archbishop Street and Saint Ursula Street.

The nine streets are now exempt from the ban on late-night music that comes into force after 11pm for all establishments, save for the condition that the volume be kept “at a moderate level”.

The nine streets in Valletta where establishments can play msic outdoors until 1am

In a post on Facebook this morning, PN MP Darren Carabott said many residents had approached him and fellow opposition MPs Mario De Marco and Paula Mifsud Bonnici to complain about the decision to extend the times.

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Carabott said that, as opposition spokesman for local councils, he had also met PN councillors on the Valletta local council, who are calling for an urgent council meeting to discuss the issue.

Following a discussion during the PN parliamentary group’s meeting this week, the consensus reached was that the legal notices ‘do not recognise the unique characteristics of Valletta as our capital city’.

“Thus, the PN believes it is a mistake that music is allowed to be played until 1am instead of 11pm,” the party said in a statement.

“Moreover, the legal notices do not respect the right Valletta residents to leave in peace, nor do they respect the extensive investment by commercial establishments to attract quality tourism.”