The Santa Cruz Council in Tenerife has issued a fine of 33,001 euros to a leisure business on Avenida Anaga in the city, for holding an illegal party and breaking restrictions and measures imposed to stop the spread of Covid 19 due to the health pandemic. Police broke up the party just last week, on Saturday 17th April, when they found 16 people having a party in the basement of the local.
The unauthorized event was discovered because the fire alarm of the building in which the local is located, on Avenida Francisco La Roche (Avenida de Anaga), went off at 2am. The Port Authority heard it and called the emergency services, who dispatched the Local Police and the Fire Brigade. When they arrived at the building, they realized that there was no fire, but could hear music coming from inside a bar/restaurant located in the building, which from the outside looked closed.
The party was taking place in the basement and was attended by 16 people. The fire alarm went off because there was smoking inside. In addition to numerous alcoholic beverages, there was also a DJ, a temporary bar, and various narcotic substances.
The agents issued the corresponding fines for not wearing masks (16 fines), for violating the curfew (16), for a meeting of more than four people (16), for the illegal organization of and events (1), for obstruction to police work (1) and possession of narcotic substances (1). Likewise, the Police transferred the reports on the conditions of the premises to the Health and Urban Planning areas of the Town Hall, as they found various fridges and freezers which, in their opinion, were a danger to Public Health.
As a result of the police reports, the Municipal Planning Department has also initiated a sanctioning proceedings against the premises, called, as stated in the resolution, Avenida 49. Specifically, it is proposed to impose a fine of 33,001 euros for the commission of two very serious and other serious offences. This is in addition to the individual fines already issued.
One of the “very serious” infractions committed consisted of: “carrying out the activity without being subject to the measures contained in the authorized or communicated project or those imposed by the competent body, especially those relating to accesses, emergency exits, fire fighting and any others that tend to security in places destined to public shows, or that involve serious deterioration of the environment”.
The second “very serious” offense committed by this business, as indicated in the Urban Planning resolution, refers to the: “development, permit or tolerance of shows or activities in places when the consumption of toxic drugs is promoted, facilitated or allowed, or narcotics, without prejudice to the criminal responsibilities that may derive from it”. And the "serious" offense corresponds to "the production of noise and annoyance."
The Urban Planning Department has informed that those responsible for the aforementioned premises have a period of ten days to present the allegations, documents or information they deem appropriate. "In the case of not making allegations within the period established on the content of this resolution, it may be considered a resolution proposal."
Likewise, it is pointed out that if the offenders acknowledge their responsibility and make the voluntary payment of the fine at any time prior to the resolution, such actions will imply the termination of the administrative procedure and a reduction of the penalty of 50% will be applied, for what they would have to pay 16,500 euros.
LICENSE REVOCATION:
The Urban Discipline Service of the Council has transferred the aforementioned sanctioning file to the Licensing Service, with the aim that “it values the revocation of the license of the premises, taking into account that the activity is being developed without being subject to the measures contained in the authorized project”, which ultimately means closure of the establishment.
