Bars in jeopardy over live music ban in Paphos

[memory man]

PAPHOS bar owners fear for their future after a police crackdown on opening hours and a ban on hosting karaoke and live music.

Local businessman Neil Hart contacted the Sunday Mail following a visit by Paphos police officers earlier this week who informed him that he was not permitted to host karaoke or live music at his pub, which is in the heart of the tourist area in Kato Paphos.

Hart has owned and operated The Britannia bar and restaurant close to Ayiou Antoniou Street, known locally as bar street, for the past three years, and said this was the first time it had happened.

“I have a music licence, which says it covers, ‘loud speakers’ it doesn’t say for what; it’s up to date and is the same licence that other bar owners have,” he said.

Hart said that without being able to host music events he would go out of business, along with many other bars and entertainers.

Even more troubling is that officials themselves seem to disagree over what the regulations mean.

Paphos district officer, Mary Lambrou, told the Sunday Mail that bars like Hart’s which hold a regular ‘loud speaker’ licence are permitted to have all types of music.

“We have stopped time extensions but there is no differentiation as to the type of music, I mean either from CDs or from live music,” she said.

Yet, this is exactly the type of licence that the police are targeting.

“Bars and restaurants have a music licence which only covers ‘playback’ music, so they can play CDS or from laptops at a quiet level,” said a spokesman for Cyprus police headquarters in Nicosia. “They can only hold live music events as a special one off event for which they have to apply for a permit.”

The deputy chief of Paphos police confirmed that at present, there is an ongoing operation in Paphos to crack down on establishments which are found to be breaking the law.

“Operational times, music levels and so on are all being checked,” he said.

Police have, in the past, turned a blind eye to Paphos venues hosting karaoke and live music in instances where there haven’t been any complaints, said one officer, adding the philosophy has now changed.

He added that hotels are also supposed to apply for a permit in cases of hosting live musical events, but that complaints in these instances are rare, as events are held ‘internally’ for guests.

He conceded that ‘no complaints’ equates to ‘no checks’ to see if a hotel has secured a permit or not.

Hart said that the problem has arisen because authorities are interpreting the laws in different ways.

“Everybody wants proper rules governing what we are allowed and not allowed to do. The rules and regulations seem to be made up as they go along,” he said.

Successful Paphos based entertainer, Jo Allsop, has been living in Cyprus for more than 12 years and works as a karaoke host, singer and children’s party organiser.

“This is how I make my living and the authorities are killing it off,” she said. “I make most of our income during the summer season. This will kill off local businesses. Tourists will go elsewhere if they can’t get what they want.”

This week, police visited a venue where Allsop was hosting a karaoke event and informed the owner they had to stop.

A strict crackdown on opening hours is also being implemented in Paphos.

Lambrou said that due to complaints that were lodged and upheld in Nicosia, the authorities have decided to no longer give extensions to permitted operational hours.

Lambrou said that last year complaints by locals and visitors over karaoke and loud music in certain areas, such as Ayiou Antoniou Street, were made and that now only temporary licences valid for two weeks to a month are being given there. Venues are being monitored to see that they are complying, before a yearlong permit could be issued, she said.

“We haven’t given any long term licences out in Ayiou Antoniou Street yet,” she said.

Costas Arsinas, owner and operator of Robin Hood pub, a stalwart of bar street for many years, said that the cut in time extensions is a real problem and nonsense. He said that the time has been changed to 1am music off and 1.30am closing on weekdays and 1.30 am for music to conclude and 2.30 am closing on Fridays and Saturdays.

“In Ayia Napa they are flexible, in Paphos, they are very strict. Reducing operating hours is bad for business and not what customers want.”

Arsinas said that he is meeting with the Cyprus organisation for bars and restaurants at the end of the month to try to forge a way forwards.

“It will be catastrophic if we continue like this. We have to do something logical together to ensure a proper future for us all,” he said.

source:- http://cyprus-mail.com/2017/05/21/bars- ... an-paphos/