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INPRIMATU
The City of San Sebastian is not charging the fee corresponding to the stores of the Old Party that bring their products to the street
  • The resident association Parte Zaharrean Bizi has denounced that the City of Donostia-San Sebastian "has not charged any fee" since the entry into force in 2019 of the Ordinance regulating the expansion of commercial activity to the public space.
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Donostiako Parte Zaharreko denda bat, haren produktuak kalean dituela / Parte Zaharrean Bizi

"The fees that the City Council has not charged in these five years have resulted in a loss of 227,000 euros for the Donostiarras," the association said. "In the Old Party, Bizi asked the City Hall to draw up a list of commercial establishments authorised for the extraction of such articles. We wanted to know what they can take out into the street, who can take it out, and how much they pay for it. After reading the document there was a great surprise because the degree of non-compliance with the ordinance approved by the City Hall is total: the City Hall is not charging the fee to be paid".

The neighborhood association has explained that the "occupation" of public space by the commercial sector implies "a private use" of this space and a "deterioration of the urban landscape". The Ordinance aims at its reparation, including specific rights and obligations, municipal controls and fines. On the contrary, "the City Hall is not charging its fee for this concept". In addition, the list he has drawn up "is not real", according to Part Zaharrean Bizi in the Old Part of Donostiarra: "The list we have received includes 166 establishments from all over San Sebastian and the number of people employed is significantly higher," he added. The association has also indicated that no controls are being carried out to verify compliance with the ordinance in the establishments.