Will the new rules affect beach bars and businesses in Plakias?

[Voloudakis]

There are new rules affecting what and where sunbeds, canteens, bars, decking and tables and chairs can be placed on Greek beaches.
Will be very interested to hear how it will effect Plakias and surrounding beaches this summer.

New rules for beach bars and sun loungers - 16 April, 2015

There will be stricter rules governing what kind of structures can be placed on beaches in Greece.

Local authorities will be able to rent spaces on beaches to be used as cafes and bars for two years, as opposed to one, but the businesses that sign these deals will be more limited in the alterations they can make to the natural environment.

According to a decision agreed by the finance and interior ministries, municipalities will for the first time be able to sign up to two-year deals but will also have to increase from 20 to 30 per cent the share of the revenue earned from such deals that has to be given to the state.

The decision also introduces a number of stricter rules regarding what kind of structures can be placed on beaches. For instance, decking will be banned unless it is to make walkways for beachgoers. Also, bars and cafes will not be allowed to place tables and chairs right on the beach but only on their premises.

The government is also extending from 3 to 5 meters the distance from the sea at which sun loungers and umbrellas can be placed by businesses. The new decision also bans the use of any other structures, such as tents or pavilions, designed to provide shade. Last year, enterprises renting beach space were allowed to use structures covering up to 20 square meters.

Mobile canteens can only rent half of the space they could last year (15 square meters rather than 30) and cannot have sound systems.

From: Kathimerini

[JBMouse]

The new rules sound as if they were devised by central government to raise revenue, to help with the economic crisis, but I would doubt if local government will agree totally with the measures as it could make their local businesses less profitable, or uneconomic, resulting in closures, loss of revenue for the local municipality, and only make the economic woes worse for their local tourist trade.
I would hazard a guess that these 'rules' will be largely ignored, as are the No Smoking regulations, motorcycle crash helmet laws etc., and common sense will dictate what is done and what is ignored.
At least that is what I would hope happens, as many places we visit in Greece are so much better for having tables and chairs on the beach, some shade and so forth, what would Shirley Valentine have done for her dream of a glass of wine on a beach?

[JackieatUrbanAgenda]

I remember talking to Nicos, the former Mayor, about this as part of the discussion over development years ago. Apparently there were already some limitations applied to the Plakias Bay area (such as no jet skis etc etc) mainly because of the beauty and natural surroundings. I can understand why these new rules have been introduced but I suspect it will impact more on the beaches of the north coast. It may, in some circumstances, only be applied to new developments and not existing interests. We'll have to see.