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Cover Photo: Xescu Prats It’s War! Ibiza’s old school clubs declare war on new generation of open-air venues. Privilege and Es Paradis denounce two Ibiza mayors Slow In this issue we report on two fatal road traDown!ffic The 32 year old mother was walking close to her place for not acting against music hotels and beach clubs. accidents on Ibiza’s roads. of work, the Volkswagen dealership, close to the Cepsa Both were the death of pedestrians in locations A war between the traditional clubs of Ibiza and the where there was no pavement—highlighting the petrol station. She was hit by one car following it being new breed of hotels and beach clubs offering open air need for us all to drive with caution wherever we hit by another in a collision just before 9am. Full report music has begun. are, but particularly in those many areas of the on page 7. island that do not have pavements. The owners of Privilege and Es Paradis, two of Ibiza’s On Saturday 4th February, a 68-year-old woman died oldest discos which have been operating since the Vanessa Patricio died Thursday morning, the 9th of after being hit by a car on the road from Santa Eulalia (Continued on page 3) February, after being hit by a vehicle as she walked to San Carlos, at a notorious accident blackspot. Report along the side of a road close to the airport. on Page 3. The Ibizan, Issue 854, February 2017 links are live in the online edition at theibizan.com Page 2 News “Don’t Blame Tourism, Blame the Landlords” The sentiments of Lawyers Sergio Carrasco and Naihara Cardona speaking at a conference titled ‘What have we achieved in a year and a half fighting against illegal rentals?' The lawyers’ were sharing a platform rasco and Cardona made it clear that with Luis Gonzaga, the man behind the tourism is not to blame for this social group campaigning on behalf of Ibiza problem. residents affected by crippling rental "The final culprit is the Landlord," they prices. maintained. However, they insisted that The conference was held at the Diario de an owner cannot be forced to lower the Ibiza club on Thursday 9th of February. rental price and stressed that the term Attendees heard that the public authori- "illegal", used by some politicians to de- ties face an impossible task in any at- scribe the situation in the Balearics is tempt to regulate rental prices as such is false and misleading. outside the scope of the law and subject "The law is very clear and details per- only to the unwritten law of supply and fectly what homes can be offered for demand. They say that this has resulted tourist letting," Cardona said. The lawyer in an ever escalating price spiral which was referencing what many parties claim has become out of control and leaves local to be ambiguity in the wording of tenancy people unable to find a fair rent for annu- and letting laws, creating a grey area al letting. which some say encourages the letter of Added to this problem is what they de- the law to be ignored. scribe as the ‘inaction of the institutions Both lawyers criticized the politicians to combat illegal holiday homes’ and the who use the ambiguity in the law as a ‘sense of impunity that attracts specula- reason not to impose it, saying that it tors to the island who manage a large should instead be "persecuted and pun- number of houses’. ished." Luis Gonzaga warned, the situation "is Following the speeches of the lawyers, a Monday the 6th of February marked getting worse" and argued that the most public question and answer session was effective measure is to inform the Balear- opened. The Queen's Sapphire Jubilee ic Islands Tax Agency of illegal leases. First to speak was Ibiza’s Director of It has been 65 years since Her Majesty acceded to the throne. For this reason, the group distributed Tourism, Vicent Torres, who provoked On 6 February 1952, King George VI died following a prolonged illness. Princess among the about 200 attendees copies of the booing of several people from the Elizabeth immediately acceded to the throne, becoming Queen Elizabeth II and taking a document from the Balearic Islands audience when he defended the move to on all of the responsibilities which came with her new title. Tax Agency giving information on how legalise the rental of tourist apartments In the photograph, The Queen is wearing a suite of sapphire jewellery given to her by to report Landlords for tax offences. in current legislation being processed King George VI as a wedding gift in 1947. Current law through the Balearic government. Photo by David Bailey as released by the palace At the beginning of the conference, Car- its regional business was acquired by Flybe. Since then, Vueling and Iberia Express, subsidiaries of International Airways Group British Airways (IAG), a British Airways partner, have launched services from Birmingham to Alican- te, Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga and Tenerife. connect Birmingham and Bristol with Ibiza British Airways ceased offering flights from Birmingham and Bristol in 2007 Adding to the seemingly never ending list of additional Ibiza flights for 2017, British airways have confirmed they are to begin operating direct flights in May from British airports in Birmingham and Bristol to Ibiza, Malaga and Palma, once a week and also on weekends. British Airways Commercial Director General Luke Hayhoe said that the airline’s cus- tomers "have expressed clearly and directly" that they want to fly to these destinations. British Airways stopped offering flights from Birmingham and Bristol in 2007, when The Ibizan, Issue 854, February 2017 links are live in the online edition at theibizan.com Page 3 News Businesses Fatal RTA at Support No San Carlos Means No Blackspot On Saturday 4th Febru- Campaign ary, a 68-year-old wom- Ibiza’s Minister of Social an died after being hit by Welfare, Health and a car on the road from Equality, Lydia Jurado Santa Eulalia to San Car- has met with the Presi- los. dent of the business asso- The woman crossed the ciation group PIMEEF, road about 50 metres Alfonso Rojo and Vice from the Sa Rota shop President Consuelo An- when she was hit by the tunez, with the aim of car driven by a young promoting awareness and man. the dissemination of the The accident happened No Means No campaign around 11.30am in an against sexual harass- area considered to be an ment. accident blackspot. This follows a meeting Emergency services at- last week where both tended however, para- Lydia Jurado and the medics pronounced her islands Director of Equal- dead at the scene after ity, Judith Romero, met attempts to revive her with representatives of Battle of the Balls, Mirror vs Beach. were unsuccessful. CAEB to enlist their sup- port. Both groups have been very receptive to the pro- It’s War: Clubs vs Open Air posals presented having (Continued from page 1) other venues with no action taken by the authorities” given their commitment 1970s, have denounced the mayors of San Jose and affirm the complainants. to publicising the cam- San Antonio, who they accuse of allowing the ever Privilege and Es Paradis employed a private detective paign in the organisations expanding open air venues of ‘flouting permitted noise to take decibel readings in several hotels and beach Photo: the scene of the they represent, and to accident in which a 68yr levels’. clubs. These regularly recorded sound at around 100dB old woman died participate in round table The mayor of San Jose, Josep Mari Ribas, and his San where the maximum allowed is at most 65dB “the mu- meetings with employers Antonio counterpart, Jose Tur, have been reported by nicipalities do nothing and the local police are far more Editorial comment: and trade unions to eradi- It always grinds my gears the clubs for failing to prosecute a crime, specifically concerned with the taxi’s arriving at the venues than when people ask where cate sexual harassment against the environment by not controlling the noise they are noise regulations” said lawyer of the public Ibiza’s speed traps are lo- and sexist attitudes with- cated. Why ask? Just slow and music of several venues. prosecution Joan Cerda. down. in business. The complainants state that they have spent millions of The detectives report was included in the complaint The police report does not “The positive outcome of say whether this accident euros in recent years to soundproof and cover their together with a similar commission by the political par- was caused by a car driving these meetings is that nightclubs fol- too quickly, but way too each group will use their many accidents on Ibiza’s lowing regula- he municipalities do nothing and the local police are far more concerned secondary main roads are own strengths in promot- caused by speeding. People tions, which with the taxi’s arriving at the venues than they are noise regulations” ing the campaign within drive them as if there are forced party Joan Cerda, Public Prosecutor, Speaking of Outdoor Music Venues. no pedestrians and/or in- their own environments,” gress/egress points. establishments “T Minister Jurado said. Ironically a lot of the metal to enclose their venues to avoid noise pollution. ty Epic in 2013 which stated that noise pollution on barriers being installed are “The No Means No cam- making it even more unsafe “We spent about 6m€ on the soundproofing of Privi- one of the hotels identified reaches residential areas for pedestrians by forcing paign was initially pro- lege” said Jose Maria Etxaniz, one of the clubs partners over 3km away.