Alcázar approves noise ordinance with limits and sanctions

The City Council of Alcázar de San Juan has definitively approved the Municipal Ordinance for the protection of the environment against the emission of noise and vibrations, the full text of which is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Ciudad Real No. 213, of November 4, 2026 (page 10330 onwards, official reference: 7860616). The plenary agreement was adopted on September 29, 2026, after resolving the neighborhood objections submitted during the public information period. The regulation replaces the acoustic ordinance of 1998 and will enter into force once the text has been fully published and the period stipulated in article 65.2 of Law 7/1985, regulating the Bases of the Local Regime, has elapsed.

Processing and regulatory backing

The initial approval took place in an ordinary session of the Plenary on April 28, 2026, and the announcement was published in BOP No. 83, of May 4, 2026, with a public information period of thirty days. Various objections were filed against the text, which were resolved by the Plenary in the session of September 29; the agreement was forwarded to the Government Sub-delegation and the Delegation of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha in Ciudad Real on October 7, 2026. The document is signed by the mayor, Rosa Melchor Quiralte, and the acting secretary, Carlos Javier Mora Castro.

The text, consisting of 52 pages and 66 articles, adapts local regulations to Law 37/2003, on Noise, and royal decrees 1367/2007 (acoustic zoning and emissions) and 1371/2007 (DB-HR of the Technical Building Code). According to the statement of motives, it was developed following a popular survey on noise pollution in the municipality.

Schedules, limits, and technical requirements

The ordinance divides the day into three periods for the purpose of limit values:

Day: from 7:00 to 19:00 hours.
Evening: from 19:00 to 23:00 hours.
Night: from 23:00 to 7:00 hours.

The exterior limits (Table 1, LKeq indices) are 50/50/40 dBA in health, educational, and cultural zones; 55/55/45 dBA in residential; 60/60/50 dBA in tertiary; 63/65/55 dBA in recreational and entertainment; and 65/65/55 dBA in industrial. Inside homes, bedrooms may not exceed 35 dBA during the day and 25 dBA at night. Insulation thresholds are added for hospitality establishments (from 60 to 80 dBA depending on the type of activity), a maximum reverberation time of 0.9 seconds in dining rooms and restaurants, and vibration limits of 75 dB in housing and 72 dB in hospital, educational, and cultural uses.

Obligations for bars, shops, and industries

Installation of sound power limiter-controllers in musical activities, with free remote access for the Local Police and municipal technical services, and a maintenance contract within one month.
Prohibition of sound ambiance systems and musical equipment on terraces and in public spaces, unless expressly authorized.
Terrace furniture with stoppers, silent wheels, and cushioning elements, and manual collection without dragging.
Prohibition of loading and unloading before 7:00 AM and after 10:00 PM in residential areas, using trolleys with pneumatic or elastic wheels.
Prohibition of depositing glass in containers between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM.

The transitional regime requires adaptation within three months for activities that exceed emission limits or have committed serious infractions; two months to install a limiter if they use amplification, and one year to replace non-adapted equipment.

Sanctions and adaptation

Minor infractions are punished with a fine of up to 600 euros; serious infractions, from 601 to 12,000 euros; and very serious infractions, from 12,001 to 300,000 euros, with the possibility of license suspension or revocation for between one month and one year, or between one and five years in the most serious cases. Exceeding the limits by more than 7 dBA at night is considered a very serious infraction. The City Council may also charge fees for acoustic inspection services.

The impact is direct for the hospitality sector of the urban center and for the residents: the ordinance converts noise complaints into a regulated procedure of measurement, requirement, and sanction, with specific deadlines for rectification that may not exceed six months.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Ciudad Real, No. 213, Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Section I. Local Administration (City Councils), page 10330 (official reference: 7860616).