Noise compensation from bars. A landmark verdict in a country that hangs out late

You live in the center of a tourist city, so you either accept the noise or move out - such a fictitious approach reigns in online discussions about complaints from residents of resorts and central areas of Polish cities. Meanwhile, the Italian Supreme Court has ruled that if residents complain about noise that destabilizes their lives and prevents them from sleeping, the city must do something about it.

Italy: noise compensation

The case starts in 2012. A couple from Brescia (northern Italy) are suing the city for not controlling the noise. Five years later, she was awarded compensation in the amount of 50,000 euros, but the local government appealed this decision and won the case on appeal. The couple did not give up and appealed to the Supreme Court.

The latter, in turn, decided that it was the duty of the city authorities to guarantee the protection of a private individual who filed a complaint about a violation of his right to health. The judges ordered that the case be returned to the lower court for a reassessment of the damage caused to the plaintiffs by the noise.

This is a groundbreaking verdict that could lead to similar accusations from residents in other cities. Italians are known for spending their free time outside the home - in bars and restaurants. It is typical that during the season guests stay in the gardens until late, and after the closing of the premises they do not necessarily return home, but continue to communicate in parks or squares. If it turns out that more residents are tired of the noise, cities will either have to introduce new rules for staying late at night (reduce bar hours? Ban restaurant gardens after 10pm?) or be willing to pay compensation.

Noisy Krakow at night. The cultural park will drown out the noise in Kazimierz

Residents of Polish cities also complain about the noise, especially those areas that have become popular with tourists in recent years. The number of residents of the Krakow suburb in Warsaw is declining, more and more premises are being transformed into apartments for short-term rental. This is not to say that all tourists behave badly - some observe curfew rules, but a few tipsy guests are enough to tire the entire apartment building at night.

Within a few years, there was also an exodus from Krakow Kazimierz. On the ground floors of most Plac Nowy buildings there are vodka pump rooms, bars and restaurants, and Kazimierz is building his “brand” as a meeting place not only for tourists, but also for Krakow residents. At the end of 2020, more than 10,000 people registered for permanent residence in Kazimierz (together with Stradom). person, i.e. over 7 thousand people per square kilometer. In 2010, this figure in the district of Kazimierz and Stradom exceeded 10,000 people. person per square kilometer.

In order to stop the exodus of residents and make Kazimierz a smart place to live, the councilors decided that from September 1, 2022, the rules on the cultural park will apply in Kazimierz and Stradom, which will reduce the opening hours of gastronomic establishments. gardens. From Sunday to Thursday they can only be open until 22:00. 22, and from Friday to Saturday and on the days preceding public holidays, only until midnight.