Keep it down!

RESIDENTS living near Palma bullring were up in arms last week due to a two­day open­air German music festival that broke municipal noise pollution laws. The Schlagersterne festival kicked off on Wednesday May 10 with a series of concerts by bands from Germany, Austria and Switzerland from 6pm to 12am.

Residents in surrounding areas took sound tests and reported readings of up to 80 decibels indoors when current legislation sets a maximum of 30 decibels with the windows open and 25 with them closed, according to a spokesperson for the affected neighbours.

The same resident declared that they fear a return to previous times, when the volume from open­air events at the Coliseo caused many neighbours to suffer anxiety attacks, depression and insomnia.

Affected residents in 2007 set up the Coliseo

Neighbourhood Association to campaign against the noise from the bullring, which included motorbike and car shows that recorded up to 100 decibels inside the surrounding houses. The Association held a meeting ib Thursday May 11 to discuss the issue and draw up a strategy for the summer, which they believe will be a tough one.