Music is now banned from the terraces in Blankenberge, Western Flanders from 11 p.m., following a decision to that effect by the city’s Municipal Council.
The move is aimed at fighting noise pollution in the area.
“We’ve been receiving too many complaints from area residents about music being played too late,” Mayor Daphné Dumery (Nieuw Vlaamse Alliantie, N-VA) explained on Monday.
“We’re happy there is so much to do in our city, but we need to strike a balance. That’s why from tomorrow, Tuesday, terraces will only have the right to play music from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.”
Additionally, the permission that had been granted to cafés since 2002 to play music up to 3 a.m. in July and August has now been withdrawn.
To organise special events such as festivals and shows, hotels, bars and cafés will need to request a special authorisation from the Municipal Council, up to a maximum of 12 times per year and twice per month. The Council will be able to grant waivers.
The Brussels Times
