Residents of Benalmadena, Costa del Sol, are at the end of their tether with excessive levels of noise pollution.
The levels of noise for residents in the Arroyo de la Miel district have gone beyond the pale, and no one seems to want to do anything about it. For those living on the upper floors of blocks of flats in the neighbourhood, street noise is causing sleeplessness and stress and inevitably affecting health.
On the upper floors of tall buildings, sound has fewer obstacles to be absorbed or muffled by, and therefore if those noises appear loud at street level, they are even more amplified on the 8th floor of a 13-floor tower, which is what one resident, Carol, in Arroyo de la Miel, explained to the Euro Weekly News.
Unmuffled noisy exhaust pipes nightmare
One of the perennial culprits is deliberately noisy exhaust pipes. ‘Young lads on mopeds, more than anything, revving their motors at all hours of the night. Now that McDonald’s has opened down the road, it’s the delivery drivers scooting around all night that keeps us awake.’
But, according to Carol, it’s not just rowdy kids. ‘It’s also older men driving around in open-top convertible sports cars roaring up and down. Is it a male thing? I don’t see women doing the same.’
Then there is the issue of the Christmas additions to Plaza Pueblosol. The council has deemed it a good idea to project a videomapping display onto the Social Affairs Building, and very pretty it is too. But they have also added narration and music at such a high level that it is deafening to neighbours living in apartments facing the square. ‘There’s not even any audience most nights. Not a soul in the square!’
Fairground ride owners know no limits with noise pollution
There is also a Christmas fair for the children, and the fairground ride owners have loud speakers and play noises with no restriction on the volume levels they use. ‘Why do they spend money on that thing when the train station stairs are a death trap that have needed repairing for ages? Not even the lift works!’
There is no denying that noise is part of Spanish culture, especially at night. But Carol is not alone in her block. Many of her Spanish neighbours are sick to the back teeth of the situation too. What should be a quiet residential neighbourhood away from the hustle and bustle of the coastal tourist centre has become a living nightmare for those who were just hoping for a bit of peace and quiet.
What about you? Are you affected by excessive noise in Spain?