Chamber of Porto defends shutdown closure: ‘Serious security risk’

Câmara do Porto services defend the closure of the Stop shopping center and the intention to impose an injunction against the actions of the Civil Protection and the Ministry of the Interior after receiving a report on an extraordinary inspection of the building.

“The conclusions reached in the extraordinary inspection report demonstrate the existence of a serious and serious risk to the safety of people and goods, which obliges the Municipality of Porto – despite the inertia of the ANEPC [Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil] – to take measures aimed at the practical closure of the premises of the shopping center “Stop”, – can be read in the conclusion of the legal services to which Lusa had access.

This proposal is part of a proposal for action “for the consideration of higher authorities” submitted by the municipal legal services, based on the results of an extraordinary inspection of the Stop shopping center building conducted on August 9 and 10 by the National Office of Emergency Management and Emergency Management. Civil Protection (ANEPC).

“The cessation of the use of the building, all autonomous factions and the car park open to the public shall be determined without the right to be heard by interested parties, given that the adoption of a measure to restore urban law appears urgent in view of the imminent risk to people and goods,” can be read in the proposed activities of the legal service.

The Stop, which has been operating as a cultural space with rehearsal rooms and studios for over 20 years, closed most of its bands on July 18, leaving almost 500 artists and shop owners with nowhere to go, but reopened in August with a fire truck at the door.

Taking into account the report of the ANEPC, the services of the Chamber of Porto understand that the municipality cannot “fail to take” measures “to protect the public interest and respect the principle of legality”, “although it is aware that such actions should be carried out by the ANEPC”, defending the autarky according to which the Service civil protection “is obliged by law to make a decision on the temporary and immediate closure of facilities.”

In the opinion of the Chamber of Porto, the Civil Protection “refused to take any action”, arguing, according to the report, that “although measures to protect the legality of urban planning have not been completed, the conditions for determining the restoration of legality have not been met”. something that the municipality disputes through the ANEPC Organic Law and the Legal Regime for Fire Safety in Buildings (RJSCIE).

In addition to closing the building, and taking into account the findings of the report, in legal terms, the services also defend an injunction against NANEK and the Ministry of Internal Affairs “for violation or well-founded fear of violating administrative law.” “.

The Autarky, led by Rui Moreira, wants both the Civil Protection and the Ministry, headed by José Luis Carneiro, to be obliged “to adopt all necessary acts and material operations, to be determined as a preventive measure and with immediate effect through written and written a reasoned decision to temporarily close the premises of the Stop shopping center.

Since the measure of restraint is “instrumental and temporary”, the legal services of autarchy also intend to take administrative actions to invalidate the decision on an extraordinary inspection “for violating the law”, as well as to condemn ANEC and the Ministry ordered to close the stop.

The civil protection report, which Lusa also had access to, indicated that “the building’s insufficiency of safety was clearly demonstrated” after conducting tests on the fire risk assessment according to the Gretner method, in which “safety is sufficient if a value of 1 is achieved.” “, and the floors above the stop received 0.45 and 0.77 (with firemen at the doors), and underground – 0.805 and 1.368 (with firemen).

There are still deficiencies in the general evacuation conditions: “the generator is not designed solely for fire safety” as required by law, “the electrical panel of the generator shows a lack of maintenance and interventions that are not in accordance with best practice”, and there are still identified deficiencies in operation alarms and emergency lighting, among other anomalies.